Vulnerable turtles at a popular Mediterranean holiday resort are under threat from ‘sand groomers’ seeking to create pristine beaches for Instagram and Tik Tok users to post online.
In Puglia, southern Italy, beach owners use heavy tractors to flatten every imperfection from the sands, sifting out anything large enough to be considered waste.
But less than a metre below the surface, delicate eggs laid by loggerhead sea turtles are waiting to hatch in their natural habitat, while above it is being transformed into perfect backdrops for tourist selfies and photographs.
‘Occupation of the beach by private owners reduces a vital living space for the turtle,’ said Salvatore Urso, a naturalist and co-founder of Caretta Calabria Conservation, who has been monitoring and protecting loggerhead turtle nests.
‘There is still not much sensitivity to coexisting with this species.’
Tractors not only crush or displace eggs – their mere presence can scare away female turtles, preventing them from nesting.
The group said the ‘high level of coastal anthropisation’, and the consequent state of degradation of the coastlines, constitutes the main threat factor during the initial phases of the life cycle of the species throughout the Mediterranean.
The 2023 Experiences Traveller, a report based on a survey of 4,000 travellers across Europe and the US, concluded that Instagram was now the most influential platform for tourists planning holiday activities.
The activity of vehicles – including the beach cleaning carried out with mechanical means – along with the presence of artificial lighting both pose distinct dangers.
Also, the development of mass tourism, with night and day attendance of beaches during the summer period, coincides with the nesting season, threatening both females during the laying phases and nests during the emergence of the young.
As tourism surges in the region, the turtles are protected by a handful of committed experts and volunteers.
Piero Carlino is director of the Sea Turtle Recovery Centre in Calimera, where staff dedicate their summers to rescuing turtle eggs. They monitor the beaches on foot and with drones to spot nests, and when a nest is identified, place a fence around it to protect it during incubation.
Later, they provide support during hatching, helping to guide the turtles towards the sea.
Across southern Europe, tourists driven by a desire for social media are taking to remote areas in greater numbers, threatening local environments and biodiversity.
Visitors to the region account for about a third of all the world’s tourists, or about 330 million people in 2024 – and are forecast to reach 500m by 2030.
And as a holiday choice, ‘Instagrammability’ is a major factor, according to a poll by travel booking agency eDreams, where 59 per cent of French people aged between 25 and 34 said they chose their holiday destination because of it.
The 2023 Experiences Traveller, a report based on a survey of 4,000 travellers across Europe and the US, concluded that Instagram was now the most influential platform for tourists planning holiday activities.
