Journal of the fiftyeighth day on board

29th June, 1999

Time: 17,05 We are in port. “The Turtle Princess ” comes on board. Her name Giusi Nicolini di Lampedusa.
Giusi, or rather the Legambiente, is entrusted with job of protecting a corner of 'paradise' on the island. Turquoise water, sundrenched rocks, underwater grass, a charm.

For centuries the beach of the ‘Conigli’ Island has been chosen by the turtles and, for a few years, also by Domenico Modugno, who spent his most peaceful moments in a villa on the beach.
Only recently has a protected zone been set up to allow the turtles of the Caretta caretta species to continue to lay their eggs in the sand.
A small enclosure marking out the turtles nests containing around 100 eggs laid a few weeks ago. A metal net protects them from seagulls, rats and bathers. Hatching will take place in less than 60 days. The baby turtles and little bigger than a coin, once they have extracted themselves from the sand, will stop exhausted for a few moments then they will “recharge their batteries”, regain their strength and head towards the sea. The first swim is the most dangerous. The stll weak little animal is a juicy snack for a seagull. Swimming in the shallow water and above clear sand transforms the baby into an easy prey for a hungry bird. It's to avert these first dangerous steps that Giusi and her colleagues will watch over the newborn in the open sea.