A sea turtle left the sea to nest but the beach had become an airport

The image of a green sea turtle in the middle of a landing strip has become viral. The animal was seen in the middle of the runway of Maafaru Airport – under construction – in the Maldives, where the specimen laid its eggs.

The photo has caused considerable agitation in social networks, as part of the construction of a huge work of a tourist complex that will occupy much of the beach where these species were to nest each year.

The turtle had left the water towards the beach in search of a place conducive to nesting. And not finding his habitat as usual, he laid his eggs in the landing strip. Despite regrettable circumstances, the animal is in good health and has been released in the ocean by locals, according to Clarín.

Maafaru has long been a popular nesting site for hundreds of turtles. According to specialists, these species always return to the exact place where they were born for nesting.

"Despite the construction of the trail, the frequency at which turtles visit the island for nesting has not declined," said a member of the Maafaru Island Council.

It should also be pointed out that the species listed in the photo, whose scientific name is Chelonia mydas, is included in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a species. animal in danger of disappearing. This is why the image quickly spread, causing great controversy.

Despite the interest in exploiting tourism in the region, animal advocates claim that this turtle, in particular, was looking for a nesting place on an island frequented by its species, but found on arrival that its home had been modified and that there was landing strip.

The local journalist, Shahudha Mohamed, worries about this issue, said: "The question continues to show how much of the biodiversity of the Maldives should be sacrificed to stimulate our country towards industrial and economic development."

At the same time, many environmental activists continue to be concerned about preserving the natural character of the islands, and many experts are inclined to adopt a sustainable development model as much as possible.