Caretta carettas laying eggs on southern Turkish beaches

ANTALYA - Anadolu Agency

Caretta carettas come to the beaches of Antalya to lay their eggs. AA photo

Loggerhead sea turtles, also known as “caretta carettas,” have begun appearing on the Çıralı and Olympos beaches of the southern province of Antalya.

Environmental protection officials have placed cages over the eggs in an effort to protect them.

Bayram Kutle, president of the Ulupınar Environmental Protection Association, said the caretta carettas began laying their eggs in mid-June and would continue doing so until the middle of this month. There were 90 nests on the beaches of Çıralı and Olympos last year, while 55 have been observed this year, Kutlu said, adding that they expected the number of nests to reach 100 and that 4,000 or 5,000 eggs would hatch.

“If a caretta caretta doesn’t feel safe, it won’t go near the beach. Therefore, we protect our beaches so they can lay their eggs,” he said. Noting that there were tourists visiting Çıralı and Olympos to witness the hatching of the eggs, Kutle warned all citizens and tourists to avoid getting too close to the protected nests, especially with flashlights and fire on the beaches at night.

Loggerhead sea turtles are classified as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and measures have been taken in Çıralı and Olympos for 20 years to ensure a safe environment for the turtles to lay their eggs and for the newborn offspring to reach the sea.