Beloved loggerhead sea turtles happy to promote hometown

MERSİN

The loggerhead sea turtles bury their eggs in holes they dig on the shores at night. They lay eggs in many coastal areas in Turkey’s Mediterranean provinces.

Loggerhead sea turtles, whose existence is thought to date back almost 106 million years, are one of the most ancient species in the world mainly living on Mediterranean coasts. Mersin is the homeland of these nearly extinct animals.

Loggerhead sea turtles, the mascot of the 17th Mediterranean Games, never go on land except when laying eggs. Though they take oxygen from the air, it can survive underwater for a long time.
They bury their eggs in holes they dig on the shores at night. They could lay 100 or more eggs at a time. The areas where they lay eggs include Adana’s Yumurtalık district, Mersin, Belek, Anamur, Köyceğiz and Dalyan shores. They are under protection since they are an endangered species. Also, there is a hospital in Mersin specifically to protect these endangered turtles.

Loggerhead beats orange

The loggerhead sea turtle was selected as the mascot of the games since Mersin is the homeland of these ancient creatures. It is not a coincidence for this animal to become a symbol of such a meaningful event. Loggerhead sea turtles on the Mersin shores are worth seeing.

The Youth and Sports Ministry and 17th Mediterranean Games Committee selected the loggerhead sea turtles as the official mascot of the games as a result of an online poll. At the first stage, oranges were considered as a possible mascot since Mersin was also the homeland of citrus fruit. However, the loggerhead sea turtle beat the orange in the polls.

Even the Mersin Stadium was developed with inspiration from the loggerhead sea turtle. When looked at from above, traces of the turtle can be clearly seen in the 25,000-person capacity stadium.