Loggerhead Turtle
Caretta caretta
Sighting evidence at Vila Franca do Campo Islet, São Miguel
Photo: MARC MARTIN SOLA · CC BY-NC
Loggerhead turtles are year-round residents at Vila Franca islet, drawn by the sea grass and jellyfish that proliferate in the sheltered bay and the rocky shelves where they rest between feeding dives. The Azores sits on a critical North Atlantic loggerhead migratory corridor connecting Mediterranean nesting beaches to Atlantic feeding grounds, and individual turtles tagged here have been tracked to both continents. Encounters are among the most relaxed in the Atlantic because the turtles are accustomed to respectful human presence in the reserve.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Loggerhead Turtle is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.