Endangered animals

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.

They pass through the Suez Canal – They come because the sea temperature is rising and the number of sea turtles, their main predator, is decreasing – See photos

The Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER) in Dalyan in the western province of MUĞLA has lost signal from Caretta Caretta named Tuba, on which a satellite tracking device was installed before releasing it into the sea on Aug. 28, 2019.

Tuba, whose number of followers exceeds 9 million, is expected to return to Dalyan this summer and make a nest.

A Caretta caretta found injured in southwestern Muğla city and released back into the sea after receiving treatment has astounded researchers and the public alike by embarking on an incredible 28,000-kilometer journey over the span of 50 months.

With Manavgat in the southern province of Antalya recently witnessing an influx of seabirds as the summer tourism season ends, an expert has called for an official protection declaration for the region, where an abundance of endemic flora and fauna thrive.

The 2023 nesting season for Caretta carettas has come to a close at Çıralı Beach in the southern province of Antalya, one of the country's most significant nesting sites, with a total of 120 nests and over 5,000 baby loggerheads embarking on their journey to the sea.

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.

With scores of tourists hitting the beaches in the tourism hotspot of Antalya to cool off the summer heat, many locals and authorities have raised concerns over people hanging their belongings on wooden fences raised to protect Caretta caretta eggs in the Konyaaltı district.

A new study conducted by the Archipelagos Institute for Marine Conservation, titled "First Assessment of Micro-Litter Ingested by Dolphins, Sea Turtles and Monk Seals Found Stranded along the Coasts of Samos Island, Greece," has shed light on the extent of plastic pollution in the Aegean Sea. 

Following the nesting process of endangered Caretta caretta, which started at the end of May, the first baby Caretta has hatched from its egg in the southwestern province of Muğla's İztuzu beach on July 13.