Porto d’Abrigo do Zoomarine Algarve returned six juvenile sea turtles of the species to the ocean Caretta carettaafter several months of intensive care and rehabilitation.
The operation took place this Thursday, June 11, aboard the Portuguese Navy’s NRP Oríon, under the command of Second Lieutenant Farinha Martins, who departed from the Portimão Naval Support Point for a joint marine conservation mission.
The turtles Xena, Xerém, Xerazade, Xénia, Xamã and Frankie returned to their natural habitat off the Algarve coast. According to , the return was carried out “about 6 nautical miles off the coast of Portimão, outside the area of greatest fishing effort”, in order to increase the animals’ chances of survival.
The six juvenile turtles arrived at Porto d’Abrigo in different clinical conditions, including traumatic injuries, lung changes, malnutrition, buoyancy problems and ingestion of waste.
During the recovery process, the animals gained weight, improved their body condition and regained their ability to survive, meeting all the clinical conditions to return to the ocean.
Six recovery stories return to sea
Among the cases monitored by the Porto d’Abrigo team, Xena stands out, found stranded on the rocks of Praia da Mareta, in Sagres, with multiple bodily injuries, exposure of bone tissue and lung changes. Over the course of four months of rehabilitation, he went from 2.9 kilos to 4.7 kilos.
Xerém was found on Praia de São Torpes, in Sines, with a healed amputation of the right forelimb, blood changes, intestinal problems and evidence of ingestion of small plastic fragments. Despite having only one front fin, it demonstrated adaptability and increased its weight from 870 grams to 1.4 kilos.
Sherazade, found weakened at Praia do Malhão, in Vila Nova de Milfontes, had very reduced body condition, significant blood changes and respiratory problems. With the care provided by the Porto d’Abrigo team, it went from 466 grams to 1.1 kilos.
Xênia was found by a maritime tourist vessel off Porches, in Lagoa, prostrate, floating without reacting to the approach of the boat and with an accumulation of algae on her carapace. During rehabilitation, he went from 4.1 kilos to 5 kilos.
Shaman, found by AIMM Portugal, arrived in Porto d’Abrigo prostrate and with buoyancy problems associated with lung changes. Frankie was found in November 2025 in Belmullet, Ireland, and transferred to Portugal so she could be returned to warmer waters suitable for the species.
For Antonieta Nunes, veterinary nurse responsible for Zoomarine’s Porto d’Abrigo, “Each return to the ocean is a moment of enormous joy for the Porto d’Abrigo team. We are talking about six juvenile turtles, six different stories of survival and recovery, which are now returning to their natural habitat with new life opportunities.
“Xena, Xerém, Xerazade, Xénia, Xamã and Frankie arrived to us in very fragile conditions and seeing them return to sea is also a sign of the importance of joint work between citizens, recovery centers, the scientific community and entities such as the Portuguese Navy”, he adds.
Satellite monitoring monitors return to natural habitat
Before returning to the sea, the six turtles were identified by placing microchips in their anterior fins, allowing their identification and possible future monitoring if they are observed again.
The operation also included the participation of researchers Frédéric Vandeperre, from the COSTA project, from Okeanos – Research Center of the University of the Azores, and George Shillinger, from the international organization Upwell.
As part of the partnership between Zoomarine and Upwell, ultralight satellite transmitters were installed in the shells of turtles returned to the ocean. These devices make it possible to monitor the movements of animals through the ARGOS satellite system, collecting information on migratory routes, preferred habitats and environmental conditions encountered along the journey.
Conceição Dias, commander of the Southern Maritime Zone, highlights that the action “represents a notable example of cooperation between entities that share a commitment to protecting the marine natural heritage and preserving the biodiversity of our oceans”.
The action had the support of the Brazilian Navy and reinforces, according to Zoomarine, the institution’s ongoing commitment to the conservation of marine biodiversity. Since the creation of Porto d’Abrigo in 2002, hundreds of marine and aquatic animals have been rehabilitated and returned to their natural habitat.
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