Every spring, the golden beaches of the gorgeous Turkish Riviera welcome the arrival of the caretta carettas (loggerhead sea turtles). Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast features the region’s most prolific nesting beach habitats, with hundreds of loggerheads returning to 22 beaches. Let’s take a closer look at the caretta caretta’s journeys to the Turkish shores and the tight safeguards Türkiye has implemented to protect the fragile offspring of these magnificent marine creatures.
The caretta carettas arrive at the beach in May
The caretta carettas have twenty-two nesting habitats on beaches in Muğla, Antalya, Mersin, Adana, and Hatay provinces of Türkiye’s south coast. These beaches include Dalyan, Ekincik, Sarıgerme, and Fethiye in Muğla; Patara, Demre, Kumluca, Çıralı, Tekirova, Belek, Kızılot, Demirtaş, and Gazipaşa in Antalya; Anamur, Göksu Delta, Davultepe, Alata, and Kazanlı in Mersin; Akyatan, Sugözü, and Yumurtalık in Adana; and Samandağ beach in Hatay. However, the loggerhead sea turtles nest primarily around the shores of Antalya and Muğla.Since the end of April, caretta caretta have been paddling in the seas off the world-famous İztuzu Beach in Muğla’s Ortaca district and around Patara Beach in Antalya. Both beaches provide nesting habitats for these shy marine creatures between May and August, with nature enthusiasts flocking to the areas to observe the loggerheads. It should be noted that the caretta caretta are under protection and, during the spawning and hatching seasons, volunteers patrol the beaches at night to ensure the safety of the turtles’ nests.Listed as critically endangered species by the World Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the loggerheads can have a lifespan of 70 or more years, reaching sexual maturity when the adult turtles’ shells are longer than 90 centimetres in length, usually when they are between 12 and 30 years of age. The loggerheads begin their nesting season in the Mediterranean region in April and May.Usually arriving on the beaches in the moonlight, the caretta caretta dig holes, lay eggs in the holes and then set off back towards the sea. Although a female turtle can produce an average of 100 eggs per nesting, generally only about 50 percent of those eggs will hatch. The hatchlings that complete their incubation period must then make their way into the cool waters of the Mediterranean Sea. However, only two out of every thousand caretta caretta hatchlings that reach the sea will survive into adulthood.
Antalya, the indispensable home for the caretta caretta
The Antalya coast is home to nine of Türkiye’s twenty-two nesting beaches, as confirmed by the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP). The 18-kilometre-long Patara Beach, one of Türkiye’s and the world’s longest beaches, is among the beaches where caretta caretta nest. As such, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change has designated Patara as a Special Environmental Protection Zone, and the beach is off-limits to the public from 20.00 to 08.00 to protect this unique ecosystem and loggerhead habitat. During the day, the nests are designated by cages and markers. Visitors can enjoy Patara’s lengthy coastline in the daylight hours, and in the evenings, the loggerheads can be seen fishing along it. During the ban, it is also forbidden to use sunbeds, umbrellas, and artificial lights, create noise, put up tents, light fires, and swim on the beaches.
Caretta caretta-friendly İztuzu Beach
The sandy İztuzu Beach in Köyceğiz, a Cittaslow town in Muğla, is a renowned nesting habitat for sea turtles. The beach, formed where the Dalyan River meets the Mediterranean Sea, is an ecological treasure for the caretta caretta, featuring golden sands surrounded by pine-covered slopes. İztuzu Beach receives the same level of protection as Patara Beach, and, in addition, the nearby protection and rehabilitation institute serves sea turtles injured in Türkiye’s other coastal areas.
Don’t Leave Without Seeing: In Türkiye, cultural heritage sites are protected by stringent safeguards, and numerous sustainable projects are being implemented to ensure the survival of natural life. Patara Ancient City, the capital of antiquity’s Lycian Union, is on the Patara shoreline and houses monuments such as the Assembly Building, where the world’s first democratic council was convened and the ancient theatre.This is also the birthplace of Saint Nicholas, known to many as ‘Santa Claus’. While touring Köyceğiz, Muğla, you can visit Dalyan and explore the stunning Kaunos Ancient City, known in particular for its rock-carved tombs dating back to the fourth century BC.
Download link for images: https://docs.tga.gov.tr/qgxqkmvn