“A turtle in Toulon harbor? It’s the first time I’ve seen one in 22 years!”, says Jean-Christophe Durbec. This sailing instructor from the Yacht club had a surprising encounter this Wednesday early in the afternoon. While he is ensuring the safety of a group of 10-year-old children on a Catsy (small catamaran) outing, they notice “a spot” on the Cape Brown side. A plastic bag? A piece of wood? He then thinks of a moonfish. “There are often here”he says.
As he approaches with his little gray RIB, he sees the shell of a turtle, probably a loggerhead sea turtle, before it lifts its head out of the water to breathe for a few seconds. Moments that he captures with his cell phone.
“A little turtle in Toulon is incredible”he comments at the time, then other specimens were seen this summer on the beaches of Porquerolles, Saint-Cyr or Fréjus to lay eggs. The animal remained on the surface for two to three minutes before diving back into the depths. “During the year, you can see dolphins around ten times here. But the only turtles I saw were in the West Indies,” continues the instructor-videographer.
The sailing club students under his supervision weren’t exactly as lucky. “Their boats remained at a distance of five meters so as not to pass over him, specifies Jean-Christophe Durbec. It was when we showed them the images that they made. It will remain a great meeting. And a nice souvenir for everyone.” Until the next one?
2024-01-17 20:49:51
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