Divers to Arsidaʼs rescue!
She was found a few miles away from the island of Arsida (near Sounion) by a group of divers who were returning from a recreational dive in the area. They spotted her floating on the sea surface, exhausted and trapped in trimmer line and dragging a piece of plastic behind her. Three of the people on board immediately dove into the sea in an attempt to free the turtle, only to discover that she had already managed to remove a part of the line herself, which was tangled up, though, with a broken plastic box.
After removing the box, the divers took the turtle on board and contacted the ARCHELON Rescue Center for more instructions about what to do. Following the decision for the turtleʼs transfer to the RC for observation early in the afternoon of the same day, the young Caretta caretta was picked up by the Director of the RC, Paulos Tsaros. The team named the turtle Arsida.
Everyone is anxious to see her swimming freely again, and hope that the next time she will resist the temptation of going close to fishing lines. (Story: Giorgos Kamarinos; Photos: Eleni Tsopouropoulou)
NO! to the Youth Beach Festival on the Caretta caretta nesting beach organized by the Phaistos Municipality and the Crete regional authorities for 12 August
The first hatchlings in Crete... headed for the lights
RECENT NEWS
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- OUR NEWS17/07/2026
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- OUR NEWS15/07/2026
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- OUR NEWS10/07/2026
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To mark the launch of the project, ARCHELON carried out a series of outreach activities across Corfu, bringing local communities and visitors closer to sea turtle conservation.
- OUR NEWS08/07/2026
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Sea turtles play a vital role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. As part of marine food webs, they contribute to the balance and functioning of coastal and marine habitats.
- OUR NEWS05/07/2026
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Two cases of environmental law violations in Zakynthos that went unpunished.
- OUR NEWS29/06/2026
New Sea Turtle Protection Project in Corfu
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- OUR NEWS26/06/2026
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With the completion of the “TUI Turtle Aid Greece” project, ARCHELON presents impressive results in nest protection, the hotel employees training and raising awareness among 66,000 tourists.
- OUR NEWS24/06/2026
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Field surveys were carried out over two consecutive nesting seasons (2024–2025), assessing 167 nesting beaches across Greece, covering 270 km of coastline.
- OUR NEWS22/06/2026
ARCHELON expresses its sorrow at the loss of Mona Khalil
- OUR NEWS19/06/2026
The world of marine megafauna: New Photo Exhibition at Agiannakis Environmental Station
The Exhibition is part of the LIFE MareNatura Project and is open to the public every Saturday 18:00 - 21:00.
- OUR NEWS16/06/2026
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World Sea Turtle Day is an opportunity to celebrate our achievements, but also to remember why we continue to research and protect these ancient ocean travellers.
- OUR NEWS16/06/2026
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Today, June 16, the world celebrates World Sea Turtle Day. In the Mediterranean, this celebration comes at a critical turning point.
- OUR NEWS15/06/2026
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On the occasion of World Sea Turtle Day (June 16), last Saturday the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Centre opened its doors to the public for this year’s Turtle Festival, themed “Into Deep Waters.”
- OUR NEWS09/06/2026
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Last Friday, ARCHELON's team in Rethymno took part in a special awareness-raising event, co-organized by the Municipality and the 2nd Experimental Primary School of Rethymno.


