A second chance in life for two more turtles!
“Nondas” and “Aristotelis” were two turtles that have spent over a year in the ARCHELON rehabilitation center. They were successfully released back into the open sea the 21st of June 2011.
It corresponded with the beginning of our education program with the “People to People” Student ambassador program which takes place every year between mid-June and mid July. These groups have been supporting us for quite a few years now helping us by visiting the rescue center, doing volunteer duties or sponsoring a satellite transmitter for the monitoring of turtles.
“Aristotelis” was found in Thessaloniki on the 25th of August 2009. He was a juvenile loggerhead of 40cm and a weight of 9kg and was luckily brought to the Veterinarian University where he was first treated. He was named after the University. He had a small head injury which was healing well but causing him to dive with great difficulty. He was fitted with a counter weight and received antibiotics and drips to deal with his buoyancy disorder. He started eating first by hand then from the bottom of the tank. He spent a lot of time on surface preventing him from a safe release. We finally decide to place him in spring in a bigger tank forcing him to spend time on the bottom.
I would like to take a minute to emphasize that the names given to the turtles are not chosen randomly. They are given by the people who found them and participated in their release. This creates a sense of pride and responsibility leading to more awareness from the people to the local communities. This change of attitude is important since we canʼt be present everywhere that a turtle gets injured. Since I started this, my relation with these important people has become more personal, moved to a first name basis, and made it possible to meet some of them. I have personally regained hope in human nature which encourages me to promote this positive energy rather than blame the few irresponsible idiots that try to kill these pacifist creatures.
Thanks to all!
Pavlos Tsaros
Tourists meet ARCHELON
The Agiannakis Environmental Station is revived once again
RECENT NEWS
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- OUR NEWS07/05/2026
ARCHELON’s Sea Turtle Tours presented in a Japanese Seminar for Sustainable Tourism
ur Sea Turtle Tours recently featured as a highlight in the Sustainable Tourism International Talk Sessions, organized by the Japan Alliance of Responsible Travel Agencies.
- OUR NEWS04/05/2026
Kids Turtle Festival 2026 "In Deep Water"
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- OUR NEWS30/04/2026
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- OUR NEWS18/04/2026
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- OUR NEWS10/04/2026
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- OUR NEWS09/04/2026
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- OUR NEWS08/04/2026
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- OUR NEWS07/04/2026
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Neither the African dust nor the sandstorm of last Wednesday stood in the way of ARCHELON's event at the Rethymno City Hall!
- OUR NEWS02/04/2026
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ARCHELON invites you to join its field projects and actively protect sea turtles and their habitats.
- OUR NEWS09/03/2026
The Annual General Assembly of the Association
ARCHELON's Members were invited to attend the Annual General Assembly on Saturday, February 28 at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre.
- OUR NEWS03/03/2026
Join us for the Online Presentation of 2025 Results!
On Monday, March 23rd, we have the chance to meet again online and share what we accomplished together in the past year.
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A Digital Adventure for Your Class with ARCHELON
Through a live connection with the Centre, students learn about the turtles’ rescue stories and discover how everyday human activities can negatively impact marine ecosystems.
- OUR NEWS24/02/2026
32 Years Returning to Nest: A Record Reproductive Lifespan for the Loggerhead Sea Turtle in Kyparissia Bay
When we analyzed the turtles’ codes, we realized that this was a turtle that had been tagged for the first time in the area 32 years ago! Specifically, turtle P4849 was tagged on July 7, 1993 and today is the turtle with the longest documented reproductive lifespan in Kyparissia Bay!