A total of 111 turtles hatched from the 112 eggs that were laid by the mother loggerhead turtle, Nature Trust and the Environmental and Resources Authority have discovered

The hatching was a great success, as Nature Trust president Vincent Attard put it: "a 99.9% success rate, the best we've ever had till now!"

The nest was at a depth of between 44cm and 72 cm, with the turtles hatching last Wednesday after being protected from the time the mother turtle laid them earlier this summer.

The incubation period for the eggs (hatching time) is approximately 60 days.

ERA currently are in possession of the remaining egg, although Nature Trust are looking into obtaining DNA information with the primary intention of linking this year's hatching to the previous one in 2016, and also to possibly fill in some blanks with regards to the hatchling found dead in the same year.

"We will be able to establish whether turtles found at sea are connected to nests found in Malta. We will be in a position where we have facts and scientific data rather than guess work,” Attard said.

All marine turtles are considered endangered, so they are protected worldwide. The Loggerhead is the most common of marine turtles in the Mediterranean, closely followed by the Leatherback and the Green turtle, the latter being more common in the open sea towards America.

Although they had previously mentioned requesting permission from the ERA, prior to the turtles eggs hatching, Nature Trust are still awaiting the relevant permits to be processed and granted to continue with their research.

Attard also thanked all the volunteers and relevant entities who gave their time to ensure this was a successful hatching.

Nature Trust are also working on a project with other rehabilitation centres to establish migration patterns of turtles in the Mediterranean Sea.