The British bases’ environmental experts recorded a total of 382 sea turtles on their beaches this year.

They said the high number of turtles on the beaches is a result of the “relentless work” undertaken by the bases’ administration, especially given that only one in every 1,000 green and loggerhead turtle hatchlings make it to adulthood.

Bases’ senior environmental officer Alexia Perdiou said this makes it “even more important” to take more effective protection measures.

She said that between 1994 and 2011, only 30 turtles were discovered per year on average but that this began to change after a new law was passed to ensure the bases’ commitment to protect turtles.

“Since the law was enacted, the bases’ environment department has been implementing a protocol of minimum intervention to conserve turtles by implementing the European Union’s habitats directive,” she said.

She added, “the rapid increase in nesting numbers is the result of systematic, non-invasive practices, and policing aimed at reducing illegal and harmful activities on the nesting beaches. The fact that there are no developments or strong lights on most of the bases’ sandy beaches helps to protect this important species.”

She did note that it takes around 20 years to be sure whether protective measures implemented have been fully effective, as this is the required period for baby turtles to reach adulthood and return to their beach of birth to lay their eggs.

Perdiou said volunteers walk the beaches daily and that when they find a nest, they place an aluminium cage over it.

This, she said, is to deter predators such as foxes and dogs from digging into the nests and potentially eating the eggs.

“There is no other intervention carried out into the nests, and the baby turtles are left to come out of their nests on their own, of course. The newborn turtles’ first journey is very important for their survival. They must move on their own in the sand to imprint the beach’s characteristics so they will later be able to return to the same beach when they are adults and lay eggs,” she said.

The deterrent against human intervention, including driving on the beaches, lighting a barbecue, or placing bright lights, is a €17,000 fine or up to three years in prison.

Perdiou said this “seems to have proven to be a deterrent”.