Memorial tomb to be erected for ‘mother of Caretta carettas,’ says journalist

ISTANBUL

A memorial tomb will be erected in the southwestern province of Muğla for the British environmentalist June Haimoff, known as the “mother of Caretta carettas,” for devoting her centurial life to protecting the endangered species, a columnist has alleged.

According to Fatih Çekirge, Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum has instructed his aides to find the right location to build a memorial tomb in Muğla’s İztuzu or Dalyan neighborhoods.

Haimoff, born in Essex, England, in 1922, died at the age of 100 on April 23 and was laid to rest in a Turkish cemetery in Muğla following Islamic traditions on April 24.

Visiting Turkey’s south for the first time in July 1975 with her boat, she fell in love with nature, saying, “This is the most beautiful place on earth.”

Between 1975 and 1981, she occasionally stopped at İztuzu Beach, where she was called “Captain June” by locals. She had been living near the beach since 1984.

“We have lost a very precious person, an environmentalist. I have given the order to my friends to find the right place for a memorial tomb for Captain June,” Çekirge wrote on May 9, quoting the minister.

“My friends will make a search of the region and make preparations for the memorial tomb,” the minister added, according to the columnist.

The news drew interest on social media platforms, with many environmentalists appreciating the decision.

Haimoff took Turkish citizenship and was named “Haziran,” which is the Turkish translation of “June,” her British name.

Caretta carettas, or loggerhead sea turtles, are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of endangered species.

İztuzu beach is among the primary breeding grounds for the Caretta carettas, where they hatch and lay their eggs between May and September every year.