Sea turtle nesting areas host visitors

MUĞLA

Aside from being Türkiye’s top holiday destinations, İztuzu and Çıralı beaches are two of the most important nesting areas of critically endangered Caretta carettas and host tourists from around the world under strict protection measures.

Located in the western province of Muğla, İztuzu Beach ranks among the top five places in Europe and the top 20 in the world in terms of the number of Caretta caretta nests.

While the hatchlings of the sea turtles that have completed their incubation period at İztuzu Beach are trying to reach the sea, local and foreign visitors to Iztuzu can use the beach from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Following the closing time, the beach is left for the use of Caretta caretta hatchlings.

Professor Dr. Yakup Kaska, project coordinator of the Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER), stated that the İztuzu beach is an example to the world in terms of being a beach open to the “balanced” use of sea turtles and humans at the same time.

“Visitors on the beach are forbidden to use the area called nesting zone. There are many foreign scientists trying to implement our practice in their own countries after witnessing our works on a daily basis,” Kaska said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of tourists coming to Çıralı Beach at first light get a chance to witness the caretta carettas leaving their nests in the southern province of Antalya's Kemer district under the monitoring of gendarmerie and animal protection teams.

Since July 11, in the beach where 120 nests are located, a total of 45 nests have been opened and more than 2,500 hatchlings have reached the sea so far.