Observation of a loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) at Algiers coast, Algeria: A new record

Nawal Kaïdi- Boudjellal, Benyahia Boudjellal, Samir Grimes, Yakout Nawel Moussaoui

ORCID IDs: N.K.B. 0000-0003-2886-6845; B.B. 0009-0005-0976-1011; S.G. 0000-0001-7218-9680; Y.N.M. 0009-0000-6725-3633

Marine Resources Conservation and Valorization Laboratory, Environment-Marine Biodiversity Interaction Research Team, National School of Marine Sciences and Coastal Management, Algiers, ALGERIA

Abstract

On December 12, 2024, a live loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) was found trapped in a drift net on the shore of the research station of École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences de la Mer et de l’Aménagement du Littoral, near Sidi Fredj, about 24 km west of Algiers, Algeria. The individual had a heart-shaped carapace with five pairs of lateral plates, the first of which is adjacent to the precentral plate. The upper coloration is reddish-brown with light spots. The plastron was yellow with orange spots. Each front fin contained two claws. After being rescued and identified by the research station team, the turtle was released into the sea. In Algeria, where the Mediterranean coasts are potential nesting sites for this species, effective safeguarding measures must be implemented. Although the research team was successful in freeing it from the drift net, the incident highlights ongoing threats such as marine pollution, accidental fishing, and habitat degradation.

Keywords: Sea turtle, Caretta caretta, Algeria, Mediterranean Sea, endangered species, bycatch

Pages: 125-129

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