Caretta caretta season starts in country’s west

MUĞLA

Endangered loggerhead sea turtles, known as Caretta caretta, have laid their first nest of the season on İztuzu Beach, a popular nesting ground in Muğla's Ortaca district.

These turtles migrate to the Aegean coast for five months each year, using the beach for nesting, incubation and mating.

Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER) officials and volunteers diligently patrol the beach, searching for nesting tracks. Once a nest is located, they carefully cage it to shield the eggs from human activity and predators like foxes and badgers. The incubation period for the eggs takes about 60 days, with hatchling emergence depending on air temperature. Conservation efforts aim to identify and protect hundreds of nests this season, with an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 baby turtles expected to reach the sea.

"Maintaining a quiet environment is crucial during this period to avoid disturbing the Caretta carettas," said Professor Dr. Yakup Kaska, the head of DEKAMER. "We need to maintain coastal environmental controls, as loggerheads return to their birthplace to nest."

Kaska emphasized that there is a positive trend in nesting activities and the number of nests detected increased from 300 in 2022 to 746 last year.