First Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nest Found at San Rossore Beach in Tuscany

A loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nest has been discovered in the Regional Park of Migliarino, San Rossore and Massaciuccoli, marking the first documented nesting event on the San Rossore Estate beach, near the municipality of San Giuliano Terme, west of Pisa.

The nest was identified in a protected section of the estate by volunteers involved in coastal monitoring activities. The area is part of Zone A of the San Rossore Estate, where access is restricted to scientific research, environmental monitoring and authorised guided visits.

After the discovery, volunteers alerted the Italian Coast Guard through its environmental emergency service. Subsequent inspections confirmed the presence of a loggerhead turtle nest in a suitable location, sufficiently far from the shoreline to reduce the risk of flooding.

The finding comes as monitoring efforts along the Pisa coastline intensify for the summer nesting season. Volunteers from Legambiente Pisa and the Marina di Vecchiano monitoring group have already been surveying beaches between Marina di Pisa and Calambrone, including the use of drones.

The nest will now be monitored over the coming weeks while conservation teams wait to see whether the eggs hatch successfully.

Growing attention to turtle nesting in Tuscany

The Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli Regional Park participates in a national conservation network as a protected area supporting sea turtle conservation. The municipality of San Giuliano Terme is also part of the initiative, alongside nearby Vecchiano.

Volunteer monitoring along the Pisa coast will continue until 15 August 2026.

According to park officials, the 2026 nesting season has so far recorded fewer reports across Italy than during the same period last year. However, conservation experts note that the peak nesting period has not yet arrived.

The first turtle nesting event recorded in Tuscany this year was identified on 11 June in the province of Massa-Carrara. Historically, the highest concentration of nesting activity along Italian coasts occurs between the second half of June and the first two weeks of July.

For this reason, the coming weeks are expected to be particularly important for monitoring efforts and for the possible discovery of additional nests along the Tuscan shoreline.

Why it matters

The loggerhead sea turtle is the most common sea turtle species in the Mediterranean, but nesting sites remain vulnerable to human activity, coastal development and climate-related pressures. Conservationists say the discovery at San Rossore highlights the ecological value of protected coastal areas and the importance of coordinated monitoring by volunteers, researchers and public institutions.

(Cover photo: Live Zakynthos)

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