Queen Sofía helped in the release of a Hipatia sea turtle last week, joining forces with the Palma Aquarium Foundation to help the marine animals and fauna in the Palma area.
The Queen, who partnered with the Palma Aquarium Foundation last year through her Reina Sofía Foundation, joined forces with a team to release a Hipatia sea turtle as a symbolic act to renew their partnership for another year.
The Reina Sofía Foundation website notes that the two organisations first decided to partner on marine issues in 2019 and “established their first collaboration agreement with the intention of joining forces in favour of the well-being of the marine fauna of the Balearic Islands.” Their agreement was renewed in February.
“It should be noted that in 2020 and to date there have been a total of 65 strandings of sea turtles on the Balearic coast,” the Reina Sofía Foundation website states.
“Currently, the main cause that leads the turtles to the recovery centres are the gillnets caused by the remains of marine debris, ghost nets and plastics, data that should lead us to a serious reflection. This summer the centre has been literally overflowing with cases, after the departure of Hipatia, about 15 specimens remain in the Palma Aquarium facilities that once rehabilitated will be returned to the sea.”
Queen Sofía founded her eponymous foundation in 1977 with the objectives of “the promotion, help and development of the needs, both physical and spiritual, of all kinds of men and women, and their fuller integration in the social community, stimulating and defending the legitimate rights and aspirations of citizens, the manifestations of letters, art, science, regional and local traditions, the artistic and cultural treasure of Spain, human, technical and professional training, the environment and, in In general, everything that supposes an idea of progress, well-being and justice.”
