Rough start to life for the loggerhead sea turtle
This species is considered vulnerable in the Mediterranean, in part because its breeding process is infrequent and precarious. So it doesn't help when people build bars adjacent to nesting areas.
A loggerhead's life
This sea turtle spends most of its life in saltwater and estuarine habitats, with females briefly coming ashore to lay eggs.
Making landfall
Loggerhead turtles are amazing creatures - but the are also vulnerable, in part because they only lay eggs once every two to three years.
Back to the sea
After they lay their eggs, the female turtles return to the water.
The waiting game
While they are incubating, the eggs are vulnerable to predators and human incursion.
New life
If the egg survives the incubation period, a baby loggerhead is born.
Dangerous journey
The baby turtle must then make a treacherous journey to the sea, surviving predators along the way. Loud noises from human activity can cause them to get lost.
Almost there
A large number of hatchlings die during the journey to the sea. Those that reach the water can grow to be adults - if they don't starve in their first days.
Facing threats
Also as adults, loggerheads face numerous threats in the sea. This loggerhead has been fitted with a prosthetic titanium beak after being mutilated in a boating collision.