Sea turtle Lara completes 2,700 km journey across the Mediterranean

A loggerhead sea turtle named Lara has completed a 2,700-kilometer journey across the Mediterranean Sea over a period of 120 days. Equipped with a satellite tracking device, the turtle began its migration on June 24 from the Lara Bay nesting grounds in Cyprus.

Lara traveled through the territorial waters of Cyprus, Egypt, and Libya before arriving at the Ras Rmel marine sanctuary on the island of Djerba, Tunisia, in September. The turtle is currently located in the Bougrara lagoon, a biodiversity-rich area between Djerba and mainland Tunisia.

The tracking project was led by the Tunisian environmental organization Glij for the Marine Environment, in collaboration with the Cyprus Turtle Research Society and the US-based Sea Turtle Conservancy. Researchers noted that the migration highlights the interconnectedness of Mediterranean marine ecosystems and the necessity of international cooperation to protect species from threats such as marine pollution, illegal fishing, and climate change.