A turtle we treated 10 years ago was found in Spain!
“Castello” is a male Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) that was brought to the ARCHELON Rescue Centre on May 31, 2014 from Antirio, with a serious head injury. After 380 days of care, he was deemed ready to return to the wild and was released on June 15, 2015 from Palaia Fokaia, along with two identification tags.
On December 29, 2025, after 3,850 days (10.5 years!), Castello was found in the Balearic Sea and transferred to the CRAM Rescue Center in Barcelona. During the examination, it was found that he had a hook in his mouth, as well as an old, healed wound on his lower jaw. Importantly, both identification tags remained in place, allowing direct communication between the two Rehabilitation Centers and information on the turtle’s history.
The distance traveled by Castello from Greece to Spain is estimated at approximately 2,100 kilometers (as the crow flies) and is the longest distance recorded for a rehabilitated turtle from ARCHELON’s Rescue Centre. Previous records included turtle recoveries in Cyprus (~970 km) and Israel (~1,200 km).
Castello’s story confirms that sea turtles released from our Rescue Centre are fully rehabilitated, capable of undertaking large migrations and continue to fulfill their critical ecological role in the Mediterranean.
Adopt a turtle currently under treatment and help it return to the sea!
ARCHELON in the Lakonikos Bay: Nature, Research, Volunteering
Against All Odds: A Story of Marine Resilience from Amvrakikos Gulf
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