Loggerhead sea turtle
Caretta caretta
Sighting evidence at La Vedova Reef, Tremiti Islands
Photo: MARC MARTIN SOLA · CC BY-NC
The Adriatic hosts one of the Mediterranean's important loggerhead sea turtle populations, with the Tremiti islands lying along a known foraging corridor. Caretta caretta feeds primarily on invertebrates — jellyfish, crabs, and molluscs — and individuals are seen year-round but peak in frequency in summer. The marine reserve's ban on gillnets and trawling around the islands has substantially reduced the bycatch mortality that threatens Adriatic loggerheads elsewhere.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Loggerhead sea turtle is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.