No confirmed loggerhead turtle nests in Malta this year
Photo: Eco cruising, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Volunteers recorded about 11 nesting attempts in 2026, but no turtle laid eggs. ERA says one season is not a trend.
Malta's 2026 loggerhead turtle season ended without a confirmed nest. Nature Trust Malta volunteers, who watched 17 beaches this year, recorded about 11 "false crawls", where a female comes ashore and returns to the sea without laying.
ERA cautions that nesting naturally varies from year to year, and females often breed only every two or three years, so one empty season does not by itself show a decline. Long-term monitoring will tell.
Lights, noise, obstacles and crowded beaches all make nesting harder. If you see a turtle coming ashore, keep back, avoid flash photography and noise, and call the Nature Trust wildlife rescue team on 9999 9505.