Story By: Pol F, Sub-Editor: James King, Agency: Newsflash

This is the moment rare loggerhead turtles hatch in an incubator at a Spanish marine foundation.

Eleven turtles hatched at the facilities of the Oceanographic Foundation in the eastern Spanish region of Valencia.

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) are categorised as ‘threatened’ by the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The eggs were laid on Cap Blanc Beach in the municipality of Cullera in Valencia on 29th July.

The hatching began during the early hours of 13th September.

After hatching, veterinarians proceeded to measure and weigh them, reporting an average of six centimetres (2.36 inches) and a weight of 18 grammes (0.04 lbs).

Later, they were placed in a bed of sand and kept in a heated hatchery.

In the video provided by the Oceanografic Foundation, the tiny turtles are seen hatching before being held up to the camera by a vet.

Experts plan to release them into the sea in the coming days once they are strong enough to manage on their own.

The nest, found by fisherman, originally had 85 eggs. The mother was returned to the sea with a GPS tracker and 17 eggs were taken to the Oceanografic Foundation’s facilities where 11 hatched.

The rest left behind are expected to hatch in the next few days, according to the press statement obtained by Newsflash.

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