Precautions taken for nesting sea turtles in country’s south

ANTALYA

As measures are being taken for the new nesting season on the southern province of Antalya's Çıralı coast, one of the protected areas where sea turtles come and nest every year, more than 5,300 hatchlings are expected to reach the sea this year.

The Çıralı coast is one of the rare beaches in Türkiye where sea turtles’ nest. Sea turtles come to the same beach every year to nest and lay their eggs. The hatchlings that meet the sea also come to the beach where they were born after many years and build their nests.

In 2023, warning signs were renewed in the area where nearly 5,300 hatchlings met the sea in 105 nests and preparations were completed for the turtles coming to nest this year.

Habib Altunkaya, the head of the Ulupınar neighborhood where the beach is located, said that despite the measures taken, holidaymakers coming to the beach both on foot and in vehicles damage the sea turtles and their nests, which are in danger of extinction in the region.

From time to time, human intervention can disrupt this cycle. In order to prevent this, different measures are taken every year on the beach.

Altunkaya stated that the punishment is quite severe, but despite this, malicious people do not give up their actions, saying, "We have prepared a suitable environment for the sea turtles that will come and nest this year. We have taken the necessary precautions to prevent them from being harmed."

"Last year, about 5,300 chicks hatched at sea. We expect both the number of nests and the number of hatchlings to increase," he added.