A further 11 turtles hatched last night in Ramla Bay, Gozo, from the same nest where 62 hatched on Saturday-Sunday night, Nature Trust reported on Monday.

It is normal for all the eggs not to hatch at the same time. 

This was the first confirmed turtle nest in Gozo in 70 years.

A loggerhead turtle laid the eggs at the Gozitan beach in May and the nesting site was subsequently cordoned off by environmental authorities. Nature Trust volunteers kept watch of the site day and night, to ensure the eggs remained undisturbed.

In June, the government suspended plans to sift the beach’s sand to clean it of cigarette butts and other litter, to keep disturbances to a minimum.

Turtle eggs are extremely sensitive to noise, vibrations and waterlogged sand. Hatching turtles can also be easily disoriented by bright lights, which they can mistake for the horizon.