• Maya and Vega return to the ocean after months of rehabilitation;
• Return made possible by a successful partnership between national and international organisations;
• Maya and Vega are now among the more than 300 animals rehabilitated and returned to the sea by Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo.

Two sea turtles of the Caretta caretta (loggerhead) species, Maya and Vega, were returned to the sea this Wednesday from the Portimão Commercial Harbour. This action, carried out by Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo, was supported by the Portuguese Navy and underlines the institution’s ongoing commitment to the conservation and rehabilitation of marine species.

Maya, rescued on 23 November 2023 off the coast of Ireland, arrived at Zoomarine in August 2024 after a period of rehabilitation at the Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium in Ireland, due to dehydration and hypothermia. The purpose of the transfer to Zoomarine was to ensure that she could be returned to more temperate waters. After the journey and ensuring a further period of recovery, the turtle was returned to the sea today, accompanied by a satellite transmitter that will allow her route and behaviour to be monitored in the coming months.

Vega, rescued on 22 September 2024 by AIMM (Associação para a Investigação do Meio Marinho), was found off the coast of Albufeira with abnormal fluctuation and in a prostrate state. After weeks of care at Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo, where she fully recovered her diving ability, she returned to the sea.

For Antonieta Nunes, the veterinary nurse in charge of Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo, this return is yet another example of the positive impact of the team’s ongoing work: ‘It’s extremely gratifying to see the results of our efforts to preserve marine species. Our commitment is to ensure that every animal that passes through Porto d’Abrigo has the opportunity to recover and return to its natural habitat. Maya and Vega are testimony to the success of this work, and each return reinforces our purpose of protecting and conserving marine life.’

Both turtles have microchips, which will allow them to be identified if they are seen in the future.

This return to the sea reinforces the crucial role of Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo in the rehabilitation of marine species, and relies on the collaboration of partners such as AIMM, the ICNF (Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests), the National Maritime Authority and the Portuguese Navy, who have been essential to the success of each rehabilitation and return. These joint efforts not only make it possible to save endangered animals by quickly identifying risk situations and immediately rehabilitating them, but they also make a significant contribution to the conservation of marine biodiversity.

With advanced facilities and a dedicated team, Porto d’Abrigo has managed to rehabilitate hundreds of specimens, reinforcing its role in the preservation of marine life.