Portugal Wildlife

The Portuguese word for Turtle is Tortuga and the Portuguese refer to others from their country as Tortugas.

So far, work on sea turtle biology and conservation by members of the University of Algarve has been conducted both in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Indian Ocean, and in collaboration with local governments and universities.

But past unsustainable coastal development and extensive turtle hunting for meat led to the end of this nesting population.

While there are several turtles endemic to Portugal, there are only two freshwater turtles in Portugal and these include the Mediterranean pond turtle and the European pond terrapin. The other turtles found in Portugal are marine turtles.