Tenerife Island isn’t just a postcard-perfect destination—it’s a place where sea turtles get a second chance at life. These amazing creatures, which have been around for millions of years, are now facing some of their toughest challenges yet. Human activities, like fishing, pollution, and marine traffic, are taking a heavy toll on them.
But there’s hope. The Wildlife Recovery Center (WRC) La Tahonilla, located on Tenerife Island, is at the heart of efforts to rescue and rehabilitate stranded sea turtles. This center is all about giving these injured turtles the care they need to recover and get back to the ocean. With strandings happening more frequently due to human impacts, Tenerife Island has become a critical hub for sea turtle conservation. The work happening here is not just important—it’s essential to protecting these vulnerable marine animals for future generations (López Vega et al., 2025).
Tenerife Island: How Human Activities Impact Sea Turtles
Human-Caused Threats to Turtles
The challenges sea turtles face are overwhelmingly tied to human actions. Entanglement in fishing gear and plastic debris is a major issue. At WRC La Tahonilla, researchers found that 63% of stranded turtles were tangled in something, and 67% of those cases involved plastics like fishing nets and other debris. Imagine how hard it would be for a turtle to swim, dive, or eat if it’s dragging a net or has plastic wrapped around its limbs (López Vega et al., 2025).
Marine debris isn’t just a physical barrier—it’s deadly when turtles mistake it for food. Plastic ingestion can block their digestive systems and weaken their immune systems. But it doesn’t stop there. Other dangers include vessel collisions, which can cause severe injuries, and underwater noise, which confuses turtles and disrupts their navigation and communication. Climate change is adding even more challenges by altering the temperatures and currents of the oceans that turtles rely on to survive (Díaz et al., 2024).
Tenerife Island: Why Tenerife Island Sees So Many Strandings
Tenerife Island’s waters are a crucial habitat for juvenile turtles, especially loggerheads (Caretta caretta). These turtles use the area for feeding and growing, making it one of the most important spots for their life cycle. However, this also means they’re more likely to encounter human activities that can harm them. Fishing operations, increased marine tourism, and waste mismanagement all lead to higher risks of strandings.
The numbers are staggering: Tenerife Island experiences around 200 sea turtle strandings every year, and over the past 23 years, 1,875 turtles have been documented stranded on the island’s coasts (López Vega et al., 2025). These statistics highlight the challenges of managing human-wildlife interactions in this area. While it’s clear that humans contribute to the problem, Tenerife Island is also part of the solution. Conservation efforts here have a global ripple effect, as many juvenile turtles migrate to other regions later in life.
| Threats to Turtles in Tenerife’s Waters | Details and Impacts |
|---|---|
| Entanglement | Affects 63% of stranded turtles; 67% of cases involve plastic debris like fishing nets. |
| Marine Debris | Includes ingestion of harmful materials, often mistaken as food by turtles. |
| Vessel Collisions | Leads to fractures and internal injuries, particularly in busy coastal waters. |
| Underwater Noise | Disrupts natural behaviors, making it harder for turtles to navigate or forage. |
Tenerife Island’s unique position makes it both a hotspot for turtle strandings and a critical area for their recovery. The efforts here—like those at La Tahonilla—are saving countless lives and preserving biodiversity in the region.
Tenerife Island: The Role of Wildlife Recovery Centers
Tenerife Island: WRC La Tahonilla: A Lifeline for Sea Turtles
Imagine you’re a sea turtle in distress—you’re injured, tangled in fishing nets, or struggling after ingesting plastic. For these turtles, Tenerife Island’s Wildlife Recovery Center (WRC) La Tahonilla is their best chance at survival. Operated by the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife, this center has been tirelessly rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing turtles for years. Over the past 11 years, it has taken in 947 stranded turtles, most of them loggerheads (Caretta caretta) (López Vega et al., 2025).
Tenerife Island has one of the highest rates of sea turtle strandings in Spain, making La Tahonilla absolutely essential. From the moment turtles arrive at the center, they are carefully examined and begin their journey to recovery. Every turtle treated here represents hope for preserving these vulnerable species.
How Rehabilitation Works at La Tahonilla
The rehabilitation process is thorough and tailored to the turtles’ needs. The facility is divided into two main zones designed to aid recovery:
| Zone | What Happens Here? |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 | This is the intensive care area where turtles receive immediate treatment. Small tanks (1 x 0.8 m) are used to monitor them closely while they stabilize. |
| Zone 2 | Once stable, turtles are moved to larger circular tanks and a swimming pool (3 x 0.6 m). This area focuses on building strength and preparing turtles for release. |
During their stay, every aspect of their environment is carefully managed—from water salinity to tank cleanliness. Turtles are observed for behaviors like swimming patterns and response to feeding. This helps assess how well they’re recovering.
The results are inspiring: 80% of turtles admitted to La Tahonilla survive and are eventually released back into the wild. It’s a testament to the center’s commitment and expertise. However, limited staff and financial constraints sometimes make the job even tougher. For instance, while diagnostic tests like X-rays are performed, more advanced tests (like ultrasounds or blood analysis) aren’t always possible (López Vega et al., 2025).
The Need for Collaboration
La Tahonilla is doing incredible work, but sea turtle rehabilitation in Spain faces one big challenge—there’s no standardized protocol across Wildlife Recovery Centers (WRCs). This means that care methods, diagnostic practices, and even record-keeping vary widely between centers. Some centers, for example, lack the tools needed to properly assess a turtle’s health, making it harder to ensure consistent recovery outcomes.
If all WRCs adopted a unified approach, they could improve the quality of care for stranded turtles nationwide. By sharing resources, expertise, and data, centers could also enhance research efforts to better understand and address the causes of strandings. Tenerife Island, with its high volume of cases and exceptional results, could lead the way in setting these standards (López Vega et al., 2025).
Conservation Strategies and Recommendations
Standardizing Care Protocols
Consistency is key when it comes to saving sea turtles. Right now, the lack of standardized protocols across Spanish WRCs makes it difficult to provide the best possible care. Advanced diagnostics, such as endoscopies and ultrasounds, should be available at all centers to ensure accurate treatment plans. Additionally, unified data collection practices would make it easier to track trends and improve care strategies over time (López Vega et al., 2025).
Engaging the Community
Conservation isn’t just the responsibility of recovery centers—it’s something everyone can contribute to. Tenerife’s residents and visitors play an important role in protecting sea turtles. By reporting stranded turtles promptly, they ensure these animals get the care they need as quickly as possible. Public education campaigns can also encourage people to reduce plastic waste and adopt more sustainable practices (López Vega et al., 2025).
Simple steps like properly disposing of trash and avoiding unnecessary plastic use can have a big impact on marine ecosystems. Imagine the difference we could make if every beachgoer committed to leaving no waste behind.
Using Technology for Better Results
The future of sea turtle conservation could lie in technology. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers exciting possibilities for monitoring and improving rehabilitation processes. For instance, AI could be used to track turtle behavior, analyze recovery patterns, or even predict the impact of certain threats like pollution (Afzal et al., 2024).
Innovative diagnostic tools, such as 3D imaging or bioinspired robots, could further enhance care at centers like La Tahonilla. These advancements would not only save time but also improve survival rates, giving more turtles a second chance at life.
Tenerife Island has set an incredible example of how dedication, collaboration, and innovation can save lives. With stronger protocols, community involvement, and cutting-edge technology, the future looks bright for sea turtles.
Conclusion
Tenerife Island: A Beacon of Hope for Sea Turtles
Tenerife Island is doing something extraordinary—not only for its wildlife but for the future of our oceans. These waters are critical to sea turtles, especially young loggerheads (Caretta caretta), who rely on this area to feed, grow, and thrive. But the reality is tough. Human actions—pollution, marine debris, entanglement in fishing gear, vessel collisions, and noise—have placed massive pressures on these incredible creatures.
At the heart of this fight for survival is the Wildlife Recovery Center (WRC) La Tahonilla. This center has become a lifeline, rescuing and rehabilitating hundreds of stranded turtles and giving them a second chance at life. With an 80% survival rate for admitted turtles, La Tahonilla represents the best of what’s possible when humans dedicate time, energy, and care to conservation efforts (López Vega et al., 2025).
But the work is far from over. The challenges are big, but so is the potential. Tenerife Island isn’t just a place—it’s a symbol of resilience and hope. Its conservation efforts are a model for how humans and wildlife can coexist and thrive together.
Join the Mission: Protect Sea Turtles
The responsibility to protect sea turtles doesn’t just rest on Tenerife Island—it’s something we can all contribute to. Here’s how you can make a difference:
- Reduce Plastic Waste: Swap single-use plastics for sustainable alternatives. Every small action counts in keeping harmful debris out of our oceans.
- Report Stranded Turtles: If you’re in Tenerife, notify local wildlife centers like La Tahonilla if you see a turtle in need.
- Be a Conscious Tourist: Avoid littering, and respect marine life while enjoying Tenerife’s beautiful waters.
- Support Conservation Efforts: Whether it’s donating, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, your involvement matters.
Imagine the difference we could make if we all committed to small, consistent actions. Each piece of plastic avoided, each turtle reported, and each step taken to protect these creatures adds up to a brighter future.
Tenerife Island: A Global Example of Conservation
Tenerife Island is more than a haven for turtles—it’s proof that people and nature can work together to create something extraordinary. By leading efforts in sea turtle rehabilitation and addressing human impacts head-on, the island has become a symbol of what’s possible when we choose to care.
Let this be a reminder that change is within reach. Tenerife Island’s story teaches us that no matter the challenges, there’s always hope—and always room to make a difference. After all, the ocean needs its turtles, and turtles need people like us. Together, we can ensure they continue to thrive.
Reference
López Vega, B., Hurtado-Pampín, C., & de la Cruz-Modino, R. (2025). Analysis of the Protocols for Action Against Strandings of Sea Turtles and Their Evolution in Rehabilitation on Tenerife Island (Canary Islands, Spain). Ecologies, 6(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies6010009
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