And if you want to compare the Nile turtles that live in the Dalyan Delta with Caretta Caretta, then you)

One of the attractions of Dalyan is the Caretta-Caretta sea turtles, who have chosen Iztuzu Beach for laying eggs.

Some information about Caretta-Caretta, gleaned from the posters of the Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center:
Caretta Caretta is a sea turtle that lives in the Mediterranean Sea. The turtle lives in the sea and comes out on land only to lay eggs. Under water can swim at a depth of up to 200 meters. It can continuously remain under water for 15-25 minutes.
Turtles are carnivores. They have no teeth, but the jaw is powerful and the palate is very sharp. They feed on fish, crabs, crayfish and any other small fry.
At 25-30 years old they reach sexual maturity. Out of 100 turtles, only 3-5 lucky ones survive to puberty. They have too many enemies, one of which is a man. Turtles die entangled in fishing nets or plastic bags thrown into the sea...
The female lays eggs every 2-3 years from May to July. Lays eggs in pits/nests dug in the sand at a depth of 50-60 cm. As a rule, there is more than one nest, the female makes from 3 to 5 nests. Laying in different nests takes place at intervals of about 15 days. One nest has an average of 70 eggs. After 45-65 days, the cubs begin to hatch. At a high temperature (+32) females hatch, at a low temperature (+26) - males. At the time set by nature, the cubs, having hatched, climb out of the nest and, obeying intuition, head to the sea.
In Turkey, one of the main places for laying Caretta-Caretta eggs are the beaches of Iztuzu, Patara, Belek. These places have the status of protected areas. Interestingly, sea turtles, wherever they are, always return to the beach where they hatched. And it is on this beach that they lay their eggs. To continue their offspring, they, obeying instinct, travel thousands of kilometers to return to the beach, where they themselves were once born...

On Iztuzu Beach, posters are placed at almost every step, showing the places of clutches and urging tourists not to harm the turtles, which are on the list of endangered animals.

The sign indicates that under it there is a place for laying eggs. On the territory from sun loungers to the white line (on the right in the photo), tourists are asked not to arrange sunbeds, not to put umbrellas and not to dig holes. This area belongs to turtles...

As far as I understand, it’s almost impossible to see Caretta-Caretta outside the tour (Those who want to see the turtles will have to go on a special tour. We didn’t go, but as part of another tour we got a very responsive captain who, to our complaints about the fact that we come to Dalyan, but never managed to see Caretta-Caretta, changed the route and brought us to the place of "hunting" for turtles.
Local residents, feeding the turtles, have developed conditioned reflexes in them and now they successfully use this to entertain tourists. Turtles are lured with blue crabs tied to a rope and thus shown to tourists. Crabs are caught here, in the delta.
Here it is, the blue crab

This is for us) Crab baked in foil. Not bad. But it's far from king crabs...

And here came the lover of crabs (she is in the first photo)

The turtle moved quite briskly, apparently young and full of energy. Capturing it proved to be quite problematic.


And here it turned out so terrible. Causes association with a bird of prey. The turtle has a large head, hence one of its other names - loggerherd, big-headed sea turtle.

We also met Caretta-Caretta at the Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre. But that is another story...

Resting in the fabulous country of Turkey, we, unexpectedly, took birth in a turtle with beautiful name Caretta Caretta ( Caretta - Caretta ). It happened on a warm moonlit night on the shore mediterranean sea in the village of Kizilot.

Of course, we knew that on some Turkish beaches you can meet these sea beauties. On our beach, we even saw a special prohibition sign with a turtle in human hand- they say, you can not take turtles in your hands.

Among the guests of our hotel there were rumors that if you walk along the beach at night, you can see huge turtles. We decided to check the rumors and one night we went for a miracle. shone in the sky full moon and the sea was unusually calm. We walk along a deserted sandy beach, enjoy the sound of the surf. And suddenly, our path was blocked by a clear wide track on the wet sand, leading from the sea deep into the beach, as if a small armored car had walked. Importantly and sedately, Her Majesty the tortoise Carriage-Carriage was advancing on us. To be honest, at first we were a little scared, but then curiosity overwhelmed our fear, and we began to examine a one and a half meter stranger dressed in a shiny brown shell. She walked with dignity past us towards the sea, without even turning her big head with a characteristic beak in our direction. By the way, these turtles are also called Loggerheads (which means "big-headed"). These turtles got this name due to a rather large head with a massive jaw, thanks to which they gnaw their dinner - crustaceans and sea urchins. Having come to our senses, we barely had time to take a couple of pictures, after which the lady in the shell disappeared into the depths of the sea.

Discussing what we saw, we did not even imagine that an even more interesting meeting was ahead of us.And here again is the familiar trace of the “armored car”. We follow it ... and we see it. We carefully approach closer, the turtle does not move from its place and lets us very close.

We squat down next to her and understand that the lady in the shell is sitting in a hole specially dug in the sand.
She lays eggs! - we guess, not believing our eyes.

In response to our dumb delight, the tortoise sighs heavily. And then there is a breath that every woman who has ever been in a delivery room knows. Only here, in contrast to the delivery room, there are no midwives, no painkillers ... but only a bright moon, a sand hole dug with one's own hand (or with one's own) and bystanders with cameras.

God! We are disturbing her! We need to get out of here immediately! whispers our conscience.
But curiosity binds hands and feet, and we cannot move. With open mouths, to the frantic beating of the heart, we look under the tail of the woman in labor and become witnesses of the miracle of the birth of a new life! So it seemed and fell into the sandy hole, a snow-white round, like a tennis ball, an egg, then another ... and another. In total, we counted over 30 eggs. The sacrament continues for more than an hour, but we seem to have fallen out of temporary space.
After all the testicles are at the bottom of the hole, the turtle, after a little rest, begins to bury its treasure. Now, fading, then, reviving, she spins for about thirty minutes on her perch, carefully filling it with sand and ramming it with her front flippers.

It is done! Mother, with a sense of accomplishment, turns to the sea and crawls into the light of the moonlit path. We are stunned looking after this beauty. Only now I could see that the turtle was not young at all. Shells grew on her battered shell, one of them even managed to cling to the turtle's beak. A relative of dinosaurs struggles to move her wrinkled flippers and looks through us with expressive wise eyes. But here is the sea, once ... and the overweight turtle, turning into an elegant sea butterfly, swims away ...

Goodbye Caretta-Caretta ... Thank you for the miracle and forgive me if something is wrong ...
And at this time, the sacrament continues in the treasured sand hole. After seven weeks, baby turtles will hatch from the eggs. The length of the shell of babies will be only 40-50 mm. They will have to free themselves from sand captivity (the depth of the nest is at least 0.5 meters). And then, guided by the moonlight, go to the sea, which will replace their mother, because they are unlikely to ever meet their own mother. Interestingly, these babies, having matured, can swim through the seas and oceans, but they will return to lay their eggs on this particular beach in Kizilot, where they themselves were born.
Unfortunately, today these amazing turtles are becoming less and less and they are listed in the Red Book. Having lived on Earth for over 95 million years, outliving the dinosaurs, these majestic marine reptiles can't keep up with progress. For a long time they were offended due to the fact that turtle eggs were considered a delicious delicacy. Today, turtles are suffering from tourists. Often, hatched turtles, confusing Moonlight, with a brighter light from hotels and discos, they run in the opposite direction from the sea and ... accordingly, they die either from predators, or from the scorching Turkish sun, or from tourists.
Well, let's wish our godchildren, who were born on July 15, successfully hatch from their testicles, get out of the sandy nest and get to the sea. A bright moonlit path for you kids and a calm sea!

Zakynthos(Greek island in the Ionian Sea) is known not only for the bay Navagio. It is often called "turtle island" - the most big turtles cartetta-cartetta was chosen Zakynthos. This island has become a kind of maternity hospital and nursery for turtles.

Zakynthos- the largest nesting place in the Mediterranean for loggerhead turtles (sea bigheaded turtle, or carriage).

A little about carriage-caretta turtles

Caretta turtles are the most well-studied sea turtles, adults weigh from 77 to 160 kg, reach a length of 80 to 115 cm.

Loggerhead (sea big-headed turtle, or carriage)

Loggerhead turtles have become an endangered species and main reason such a trend is mass tourism in their nesting areas.
Water pollution and fishing activities have also contributed.

Female carriage turtles reach sexual maturity at around 30 years of age and return to their birthplace to mate and lay eggs. 80% of turtles return to Zakynthos. Turtles nest every 2-3 years.
The turtles hatch after about two months, at night and immediately go to the sea.

Happy Birthday Baby!

The length of newborn turtles is approximately 4.5 cm, they weigh 20 grams. Only those that reach the open sea survive.

Good luck!

Only one in 1,000 cubs survives and reaches sexual maturity.

The beginning of a long life

National Marine Park in Zakynthos

To save the turtle population Zakynthos founded in 1999 National Marine Park. Its main task is to preserve the ecosystem and create conditions for increasing the population of carriage-caretta turtles.
Part national park includes 6 beaches of Laganos Bay, small islands Marathonissi (Marathonissi) And Peluso.
About 3,000 turtle nests appear here every year, which are monitored by park staff and volunteers.

Turtle nests on the beaches of Laganos

Under close attention are not only turtles, but Mediterranean seals monachus-monachus.

Where can you see turtles?

The easiest and most harmless (for nature) way is to visit the island in May - June. At this time, turtles come to mate and swim very close to the shore. Most of them rush to the beaches of the bay Laganos. A turtle swimming nearby is not uncommon during this period.

In May - June, turtles swim very close to the shore

Throughout beach season from anywhere on the island you will be offered boat trips on glass bottom boats, yachts, boats, during which you can see turtles.

Another popular way is an excursion to the island. Marathonissi: there are not only two excellent beaches (sandy and pebbly), but also numerous nests of turtles (respectively, many adult turtles in coastal waters). The island is part of National Marine Park.

Marathonissi (Marathonissi)

Rules for tourists on the beaches of Zakynthos

On those beaches Zakynthos, which are located on the territory of the National Marine Park, there are a number of rules that must be followed by all tourists (all of them are aimed at preserving the turtle population):

• night stay on the beach is prohibited - turtles usually hatch at night;
• at night, you can’t use any sources of artificial lighting (lamps, car headlights, etc.) on the beach and next to it - turtles use moonlight on the water as a guide, extraneous light sources knock them off the route;
• It is strictly forbidden to leave garbage on the beach - plastic bag can kill not only baby turtles, but also adults if it gets into the sea;
• on the beaches you can not move on bicycles, scooters, etc.;
• in places designated as laying eggs, you can not install sunbeds, umbrellas, awnings;
• in Laganos Bay it is forbidden to use motor boats and boats;
• it is desirable to be located no further than 5 meters from the water's edge - there may be masonry further;
• sand castles and other structures can only be made near the surf and do not forget to destroy them before leaving - they can become an insurmountable obstacle for turtles;
• you can’t make noise on the beaches, play with a ball, rackets, the rest here is passive (it’s better to go to the beaches of Mykonos for fun).

There are employees on the beaches National Marine Park and volunteers. They will always tell you what to do and what not to do, listen to them!

It is strictly forbidden to dig up the laying of eggs, this is punishable by law.

Zakynthos very popular with tourists from all over the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists rest here and this leads to a catastrophic deterioration in the situation with turtles. It is in the power of each of us to make sure that not one or two turtles survive out of a thousand, but more.

The huge sea turtles Caretta-Caretta are already a legend in the Turkish Mediterranean. Sculptures of giant turtles, standing in an embrace, greet guests at the entrance to Belek. During boat trips, guides will certainly promise tourists that they will see turtles alive, and some beaches close after seven in the evening because of these legendary reptiles. But the most important period is autumn, when the tiny Carettas have to overcome the most dangerous path in their lives.

Half past six in the morning, but very warm. The sea is gentle, the air is warm, although it is already autumn. We came to Cirali knowing that the Caretta Caretta turtles are hatching here, and now is the season. You just need to run to the beach in the morning and carefully look at the people walking by. But the sea quickly distracted us. And here, literally 25 meters from us, there is a clear “it”, and we are in chest-deep water. In general, they took us by surprise, but we are behind the cameras - and run. And there already some guys write in a special notebook how many pieces from which hole and at what time they got out.

The people of various colors lined up in two lines and cheered up with the welcoming cries of the kids, of which there were four. Uncles shout at onlookers so that they don’t inadvertently interfere. They drove me away when I was standing half a meter to the side of the turtle track - you never know, maybe the kid wants to turn?

There were four supervisors. And what? Responsible work! One makes notes, the other - with an important blamba on his chest, like the main one. He controls all the movements of the supervisors in relation to the turtles. Another one raises and lowers, and, if necessary, takes away the wire frames that are no longer needed, which are installed above the masonry, while the baby is still in the sand, into a common pile. And he also carries a bucket in which they put completely hopeless, weak turtles. And the fourth, apparently, so for the company.

The cubs hatched on the set day must sit in the sand for another 26 hours, which is probably why supervisors so carefully feel the place of laying. The palm goes vertically into the sand in several places in turn. If "something suspicious", they palms, horizontal movements, in layers, rake the sand to the sides. Probably, being afraid to injure the kids, who have already decided to get out on their own. If they don’t find anything, they all bury it again, make appropriate notes in their notebook and put a wire frame over the masonry - until the next time.

While the turtles are crawling towards the water (and it's funny, the closer to the water, the faster they run, they even jump, as if they feel), the supervisors are busy with a very important task. They carefully dig up the masonry - their former house, - everyone checks if there is anything else left there, counts the peel, put it back and bury the masonry. And they don't go anywhere until the turtles swim away.

And even if the turtle, which itself is still the size of 3/4 cigarette packs, rolls over, falling off a pebble on the beach, it does not need help. A specially trained uncle helps her in some strange but more effective way. He does not turn her over, but puts a finger on his hand, helping to strain his weak muscles and turn over herself.

As soon as the baby finally and confidently swims away, the supervisors collect their little things and go to the next clutch. The whole crowd is behind them.

Irina IVANOVA

On a note:

Three of the seven species of sea turtles living today are regularly observed in the Mediterranean Sea: Caretta-Caretta (Caretta-Caretta), green (Chelonia Mydas) and leatherback (Dermochelys Coriacea). The most common species is Caretta Caretta, but green turtles are found only in the Eastern Mediterranean, where the water temperature is higher. Their main breeding grounds are on the beaches of the South-East coast of Turkey - Kazanli (Kazanlı), Akyatan (Akyatan) and Samandag (Samandağ).

Turtles Caretta-Caretta are included in the list of endangered species of our planet of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species wildlife and flora. The fact is that for a long time they were considered a delicacy not only on Far East, but also in some European countries (for example, France and Italy). These marine reptiles feed mainly on plant foods. They live in colonies.

Caretta-Caretta lays eggs only once every two to three years. Turtles go to the sandy shore and, using their hind legs, dig several holes. Then, having chosen, in their opinion, the most suitable one, they lay eggs there. One turtle can dig up to 80-100 holes, but for the entire masonry it will choose only one.

This exhausting procedure for turtles lasts about 60 days (from May to July). From July to September, small turtles begin to appear. They say that males are hatched at a temperature of 28.5 ° C, but for females, heat is required more - 32 ° C.

The cubs, hatched on the appointed day, get out of the hole and, guided by the moon, head towards the sea, carried away by instinct. During the period when the little turtles hatch from eggs, it is forbidden to kindle a fire or light a light, because it can deceive the cubs and they will go astray. You need to get to the water before dawn. Latecomers die from the hot sun or become food for birds. Instinct again leads adults to the place where they were born. Having hatched in one place, they return there already in order to give life to a new generation.

In Turkey, there are 17 beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs, among them the most important are Patara, the Göksu River Delta (Göksu), Belek - all of them have the status of protected areas.

Interesting Facts:

Turtles Caretta-Caretta live on Earth already 95 million years

Adult turtles reach the size 115-150 cm

Weight - approx. 70-90 kg

Average life span - no more 70 years old

One turtle can dig up to 80-100 holes for laying eggs

Betyuyab on the protection of turtles

Due to the rapid development of tourism in the region, the protection of the endangered Caretta-Caretta tortoise species is now one of the priority activities of the Belek Investors Union (Betuyab), according to Bulent Buyukiit, Betuyab's general manager. Every year, from May to August, vigorous work is carried out on the coasts of the region: the installation of barriers, the observation of turtles. For this, the Union invites specialists from all over the world, as well as volunteers - students from Turkey.

The protection of the Caretta-Caretta turtles in Belek is complicated by the fact that all 55 hotels are located on the coast. It's the extra light and sound that scares away the turtles and they just don't go to the beach. However, about 70 baby turtles hatch on the coasts of Belek every year. To continue their kind, turtles choose such hotels in Belek as: Paloma Grida Village, MegaSaray, Xanadu, Kaya, Maritim Pine beach, Rixos, Club Voyage Belek Select, Spice, Arcadia, Magic World, Sun Zeynep, Attalia Village.

Photos for the article

The road of life. The birth of sea turtles. Caretta caretta.

The other day I watched how sea turtles were born - caretta and fled into the sea together.

But it turns out that life is not so smooth for turtles. Some data: An adult turtle reaches a length of 70-95 cm and a mass of 80 to 200 kg. Females lay eggs at night, 4-5 times per season, in summer and autumn. The clutch contains from 100 to 126 eggs with a leathery shell about 4 cm in diameter. Turtles hatch after 1-2 months, spend several hours in the nest, and then crawl out of the sand together and run to the sea. The average life span does not exceed 70 years.

Yesterday I learned that turtles began to climb out of one of the clutches in the Rethymno region and went to look. It was about 7 pm, I quickly found a place on the shore due to the crowd of people. Volunteers worked around the masonry. I was struck a large number of there are about 15 clutches, within a radius of only 10-15 meters and where there is a very narrow sandy coastline.

Volunteers before me have already checked one of the clutches, which was suitable for hatching dates. It contained 112 eggs, but only 38 turtles hatched and left the nest. As the guys said, on average, 70% die during births, and another part of the turtles die in the sea. Opening the masonry, scientists keep statistics: many do not ripen, infections.

With me, they tried to resuscitate three turtles, poured water over them. The turtles, although they were of normal size, were very lethargic and could not crawl. They definitely need to get to the water themselves, stretch their muscles. The girls carefully sprinkled the turtles with sand, perhaps they will still gain strength.

When the volunteers left, I got into a conversation with two girls from a nearby hotel, who had been watching and helping the turtles for several days.