The story of Ulises, the turtle rescued on the Pitiusas

How wonderful it is to sail through our beloved Mediterranean. At Sea Experience we enjoy sharing our love for the sea even though we sometimes find ourselves in unpleasant situations...

Last July 8th, during our Ibiza-Formentera boat route, we spotted a turtle with serious swimming problems... We didn't hesitate for a minute and called our friends from Vellmarí Formentera Diving to assist the reptile.

In our Instagram you can see the moment in which they pick up the turtle to take it to the veterinary centre and then you have the video of Pierre-Yves Cousteau (Costeau Drivers) of the moment of the rescue:

We are proud that the great professionals who have saved the life of this turtle have named it after our boat Ulises, who was the one who sighted it and gave the warning. Thank you very much!

Threats to turtles and the marine environment

As Manu San Félix (part of "Pristine Seas", a National Geographic project for the conservation of our planet) states, "the turtle had a double fortune: on the one hand, because it was located, and on the other, because it had not been run over by any boat in an area of intense boat traffic".

Unfortunately, the plastics that pollute the oceans are not the only threat to the marine environment and the animals that inhabit it. Fishing gear (legal or illegal) also endangers one of the most fragile ecosystems on our planet.

In the case of Ulises, "he swam dragging several plastic sacks and a two-litre bottle of soda, which were part of the art attached to the line that came out of the same mouth," as San Felix explains.

Ulises' return to freedom -- an American turtle?

Ulises will return, fortunately, to live in his natural habitat in a short time. His recovery in the facilities of the Palma Aquarium is on the right track.

San Félix also points out that "80% of the sea turtles that swim in the Balearic Islands are born on the beaches of Florida (USA) and reach the Balearic Sea after a journey of thousands of kilometres". Ulises has all the numbers to be one of them!

Here at Sea Experience we hope that your return to your native beach in the United States, a journey that will once begin in freedom due to your instinct, will be free of deadly traps caused by a lack of sensitivity to the health of our seas.

Bon voyage, Ulises!