Green sea turtles start laying eggs in southern Turkey 

ADANA

Green sea turtles have started laying eggs in Turkey’s southern province of Adana.

The Akyatan Wildlife Development Area, an internationally important wetland located between Akyatan, the largest lagoon of Çukurova Delta, and the Mediterranean, welcomes green sea turtles every summer.

Volunteers and officials have been on night watch along the 22-kilometer (13.6-mile) coast.

The turtles lay eggs in the night and return to the sea when twilight strikes.

Turgut Çangır, the head of the regional directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, said they were carrying all-out efforts for the protection of both Caretta carettas and green sea turtles on the coasts from Hatay to Mersin provinces.

“Since 2006, 220,000 baby turtles have hatched from 6,000 nests and made their way to the sea on this 22-kilometer coastline. Last year, we had 520 nests in this area,” he said.

Çangır stated that there were 17 nests of green sea turtles along the coastline so far due to the late summer season.

Last year around 20,000 baby turtles hatched, he said, adding that they were expecting to exceed this number this year.