Zoomarine Algarve concluded an investment of 1.1 million euros in the modernization of Porto d’Abrigo, the institution’s Marine Species Rehabilitation Center, which recently received an adult sea turtle weighing around 120 kilos for rehabilitation and future return to the ocean.
The “Molly” turtle, of the species Caretta carettaarrived in the Algarve from the Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium, in Ireland, as part of an international collaboration between the two institutions.
According to Zoomarine, the modernization of Porto d’Abrigo made it possible to reinforce the center’s technical and scientific capacity, including the adaptation of infrastructure to accommodate more complex cases and improve the clinical and behavioral monitoring of animals.
Created in 2002, Porto d’Abrigo was the first rehabilitation center for marine species in Portugal and has already carried out more than 742 interventions until 2025, in collaboration with the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF).
Center of the Algarve reinforces commitment to the rehabilitation of sea turtles
With modernization, the Algarve center will respond to a greater number of rehabilitation and conservation projects, with a special focus on sea turtles.
“The modernization of Porto d’Abrigo represents a decisive step in strengthening our capacity to respond to increasingly demanding cases”, says Antonieta Nunes, veterinary nurse responsible for Porto d’Abrigo at Zoomarine Algarve.
The official adds that the investment will allow us to act “more effectively, both in rehabilitation and in the production of scientific knowledge, consolidating our role in the conservation of marine ecosystems”.
The recovery process for Molly the turtle will focus on assessing behaviors essential to survival in the wild, including natural food identification, diving patterns and orientation.
Return to the sea will only occur when all clinical, behavioral and environmental conditions are met.
International collaboration brings together Ireland and Algarve
Maria Foley, head of the Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium, considers that the collaboration between the two institutions represents “a special moment for everyone involved in the project”.
“After so many years of dedicated care from our team, it is extremely meaningful to combine our experience with the Zoomarine team to make this return possible,” he emphasizes.
Transport of the turtle between Ireland and Portugal was ensured by TAP Air Portugal, Zoomarine’s usual partner in this type of operations.
Porto d’Abrigo has already returned several turtles to the ocean
Over the last few years, Porto d’Abrigo has established itself as a national and international reference in the rehabilitation of large sea turtles with specific needs.
Among the most striking cases are the “Calantha” turtle, weighing more than 120 kilos, and the green turtle “Cat”, weighing around 60 kilos, both returned to the ocean after demanding recovery processes.
According to , the monitoring records of these animals made it possible to monitor movements to the African coast, Brazil and the Caribbean, contributing to the advancement of scientific knowledge about the migratory patterns of these species.
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