Joanne, whatʼs new at the Rescue Center (September 2017)?
Our volunteer at the Rescue Center Joanne Stournara updates us on the events in September 2017.
‘And when the day arrives I'll become the sky and I'll become the sea and the sea will come to kiss me for I am going home. Nothing can stop me now.’ Trent Reznor
Other news
The month of September 2017 was a very tragic month for the ARCHELON Rescue Center: Pavlos Tsaros, the Rescue Network Co-ordinator, passed away, leaving his many friends in the international sea turtle community shocked and grieving. A separate tribute to Pav appears on Facebook, and an article has been written and posted on the official ARCHELON website. Pav’s funeral was held on his home island of Limnos – I am mentioning this because of an unusual ‘event’ which I will describe below.
I could say much more about Pav and what he meant to the RC, but it would not be appropriate in this report. I’ll just say that Pav will always remain close to those he inspired and who loved him.
It’s important to mention that the ARCHELON RC Volunteers, both those from abroad and local volunteers, quickly banned together to care for the turtles in a way that Pav would be proud of. Thank you all so much! A formal announcement about the new Rescue Network Co-ordinator will be made shortly by ARCHELON.
Also in September, an oil transport ship sank in the Saronic Gulf, resulting in huge quantities of petroleum being dumped into the sea. The oil spill reached from Salamina to Glyfada, with some reports of oil being found as far south as Lagonissi. The RC Director Dimitris Fytilis contacted and met with representatives of the Environmental and Maritime Industries regarding the need to urgently protect the RC area from the oil. (For an article about this (in Greek only) see the official government website http://www.hcg.gr/node/16022. Fortunately, the system used at the RC for pumping and circulating sea water into the turtle’s tanks was capable of filtering out the oil, and measures were taken by the authorities to block oil from entering the area close to the RC.
It’s also worth noting that not one sea turtle was reported as having been affected by the oil spill! Since we often get reports of dead or injured turtles from the Salamina area, this was wonderful (and to me, surprising) news.
Many thanks to all the volunteers for their dedication and hard work during this difficult month.
Turtle news
Arrivals
‘Alkyoni 17’ arrived at the RC on 3 September 2017. Part of her back right flipper was missing, and she had an ingested hook visible in her mouth. Fortunately, the hook could easily be removed without surgery. ‘Alkyoni-17’ was treated with antibiotics, drips, and vitamins, and is eating on her own. She is a candidate for release this year!
‘Sotiris 17’ was rescued on Paros on 3 September 2017 by members of the Paros Diving Club. The turtle was found swimming in shallow water in Golden Beach. His carapace was badly broken due to a collision with a boat propeller. The loggerhead is receiving for his injuries and wound, and they are healing. The turtle has a good appetite, but has to be handfed since he is unable to dive. Many thanks to Paros Divers, Golden Beach Surf Club, the Paros Port police, the Naxos Diving Center, and Yiannis Orfanos of the Naxos Wildlife Protection Society for their work in rescuing, caring for, and arranging transport for the turtle to the RC. For more pictures and information, see Paros Divers FB page.
‘Sylvan 17’ arrived on 23 September 17 from Zakynthos. The male loggerhead, whose carapace is 71cm long and who weighs 32.5 kilos, was found (and named after) one of the volunteers on the ARCHELON Zakynthos field team. The turtle was very emaciated, with a head injury and fishing line coming out of his cloaca, a plastron injury, and an old injury on his cloaca. His plastron is very soft, which is not a good sign. The turtle is receiving medications and wound treatment.
Releases
We are happy to report that 10 turtles who had been treated at the RC were successfully rehabilitated and released back into the sea!
‘Iris 16’ had arrived from Lefkimmi (Corfu) on 14 October 2016 with a head injury deliberately inflicted by human action. The loggerhead was successfully rehabilitated and released by boat into the Saronic Bay on 1 September 2017.
‘Maria 17’, a loggerhead who had arrived on 25 May 2017 from Sagiada with a head injury deliberately inflicted by human action, was released by boat into the Saronic Bay on 1 September 2017.
‘Elpida 16’ had been rescued by members of the ARCHELON field team working in Chania. She arrived at the RC on 1 September 2016 with injuries to her two front flippers caused by entanglement with fishing line. She recovered her health and was released on 1 September 2017 by boat into the Saronic Bay.
‘Avra 17’, a female loggerhead suffering from hypothermia, had arrived at the RC on 3 February 2017 from Thessaloniki. She recovered her health and was released by beach into the Saronic Bay on 8 September 2017.
‘Nichta 17’, a loggerhead who had arrived at the RC from Patra on 5 May 2017 with a head injury deliberately inflicted by human action, was released by beach into the Saronic Bay on 9 September 2017.
‘Nileas 17’ had arrived on 5 May 2017 from Romanos (Messinia) with a flipper injury caused by entanglement with fishing line. The male loggerhead was successfully rehabilitated and released by boat on 24 September 2017, in honour of Pavlos Tsaros.
‘Haroula 17’, a loggerhead with a head injury directly caused by human action, had arrived at the RC on 6 June 2017 from Alonnissi. She was successfully rehabilitated and released by boat from Costa Navarino Beach on 24 September 2017, in honour of Pavlos Tsaros.
‘Bilbo 17’, a male loggerhead who had arrived at the RC on 16 June 2017 from Corfu with flipper injuries, was successfully rehabilitated and released by boat from Costa Navarino Beach on 24 September 2017, in honour of Pavlos Tsaros. (It is worth mentioning that this was Bilbo’s second release from the RC; he had been treated at the RC previously and released into the Saronic Bay. He made his way back to Corfu, and was rescued a second time by the team at Corfu Wildlife Sense.)
‘Syra 17’, a female loggerhead with a lung infection, arrived at the RC on 31 July 2017. She was successfully rehabilitated and released by boat from Costa Navarino Beach on 24 September 2017, in honour of Pavlos Tsaros.
(If you would like to see a video of multiple turtle releases by boat from 2016, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9ik90awJXg)
‘Captain Nelly 17’, a male loggerhead with buoyancy problems, was brought to the RC by Nikos Vallianos and volunteers from the Corfu ‘Wildlife Sense’ society. The turtle had been rescued in Kefalonia on 2 August 2017, received first aid from ‘Wildlife Sense’, and then driven to Athens for further treatment. The turtle recovered its health and was released on 27 September 2017. Because of the oil spill in the Saronic Gulf, the turtle was not released there. Instead, she was released at Kakia Thalassia beach, located on the east coast of the Attica peninsula.
More Good News
We are happy to report that there were no turtle deaths at the RC during September!
Also, ‘Maua 17’ had surgery on 21 September 2017 to remove an ingested hook. The operation was successful, and she is recovering well. Her stitches are being treated to prevent infection, AND at the moment she is able to eat on her own, which is a very positive sign.
Thanks
Many thanks to all the people, animal conservation groups, rescue center network members, port police, and concerned people who helped rescue and care for these injured turtles.
Did you know...
The sea turtle used as the ARCHELON emblem is based on an ancient coin from the island of Aegina, dating to the mid-6th through mid-5th centuries BCE. The Athens Numismatic Museum has several different styles of turtle coins on display in their collection. (Their official website is http://www.enma.gr/ (Greek only), but you can find information on many sites, for example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numismatic_Museum_of_Athens.)
I was surprised to see two musical instruments (something like the traditional Greek bouzouki, only smaller) made from a turtle carapace and plastron on display at the Museum of Greek Folk Music Instruments in Plaka! The turtles were obviously NOT sea turtles, but still... (The Museum does not have its own website, but for information about it, visit http://athensmuseums.net/museum.php?id=6&lang=en.)
Joanne, whatʼs new at the Rescue Center (October - November 2017)?
Volunteering with ARCHELON
RECENT NEWS
- OUR NEWS27/09/2023
World Tourism Day 2023: Are there sea turtle-friendly hotels in north Crete?
But why is tourism important to sea turtles?
- OUR NEWS15/09/2023
Lilo, the tiny green turtle, made it back to the sea!
In November 2021 a small green turtle arrived at the ARCHELON Rescue Centre with a very serious head injury. After almost two years of intensive care, one Wednesday in September 2023 he was finally discharged and returned to the sea!
- OUR NEWS17/08/2023
World record of 37 years of reproductive life for a loggerhead sea turtle in Zakynthos, Greece – increased number of nests this summer, says ARCHELON
ARCHELON – the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece announces an important outcome of the systematic work of this year's sea turtle nest monitoring team in Zakynthos. Based on their long-term observations, ARCHELON managed to certify a new World Record of reproductive activity for loggerhead turtles.
- OUR NEWS07/08/2023
ATTENTION! Sea turtles are not pets: Do not touch them or feed them!
The Municipality of Eastern Mani and the Port Authorities requested the assistance of ARCHELON to inform beach users in the area of Limeni, near Mani, where 35 new incidents of sea turtle attacks on sea bathers have been recorded during this summer season. These are added to the already long list of 200 such records of previous years found in the nearby Health Center in Areopolis.
- OUR NEWS01/08/2023
Interview with a volunteer: Lea Heinen, Rescue Centre
Interview with a volunteer: Lea Heinen, Rescue Centre Lea shares her experience volunteering at the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Centre: “I think when a turtle starts to eat after a month of trying, when you can see the improvement or healing of a turtle's injury and when a turtle is released back into the sea, into its natural habitat, into its home - then you know that you are indeed saving turtles”.
- OUR NEWS21/07/2023
Kids Beach Competition 2023: Make your own little sea turtle with natural materials and send us a photo!
Help us spread the message about the protection of sea turtles by making your own baby turtles with natural materials you will find on the beach. Sand, stones, pebbles, shells, seaweed, sticks and whatever else you have available, can be transformed with a little imagination! Take a photo of your work and send it to the ARCHELON Beach Competition.
- OUR NEWS18/07/2023
Paving the way for next steps in conservation of marine turtles in the Mediterranean region
Last week the partner organizations of the project “Conservation of Marine Turtles in the Mediterranean Region” met for the 9th Steering Committee Meeting. The meeting was organized by SPA/RAC in the area of Kyparissia Bay, Greece on the 4th and 5th of July, 2023 in collaboration with ARCHELON.
- OUR NEWS04/07/2023
An offer to EXPERIENCED volunteers: You can now join the beach projects for 2-3 weeks!
The time is just right to join the projects again, even if you have only 2 or 3 weeks of available time. This offer is valid for August, September, October 2023. Apply through our new website and find out more about the dates and places you can join. More…
- OUR NEWS22/06/2023
The nesting season has begun! Learn what you can do if you find sea turtle tracks or nests on the beach
The nesting season for the loggerhead sea turtles has begun. The nests that are made in the areas monitored by ARCHELON and other collaborating groups are already being recorded. However, if you find tracks or nests on other beaches, you can also participate in the effort to record and protect these sporadic nests. Find out why it's important…
- OUR NEWS16/06/2023
A breath away from registering a new world record on the years of known active reproduction of a loggerhead sea turtle is ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece
This is the year when ARCHELON, a nonprofit environmental NGO, is celebrating 40 years of continuous and targeted action to save sea turtles in Greece and the Mediterranean. At the same time, the project teams of ARCHELON are ready to register the longest period of active reproduction known for the Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), in case it happens this year!
- OUR NEWS15/06/2023
A Saturday unlike any other - Turtle Festival 2023
ARCHELON invites kids and adults to celebrate the environment and the sea in an exciting way at the "Sea Turtle Festival" on Saturday, May 27 at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in the 3rd Marina of Glyfada.
- OUR NEWS07/06/2023
Announcement for all past volunteers of ARCHELON: Shall we meet this September?
Highlight: Hi everyone! This year marks 40 years of ARCHELON’s action for protecting sea turtles in Greece. During these four decades, thousands of volunteers from many countries joined our sea turtle projects and the Rescue Centre to help save the turtles. Let’s meet again this coming September and celebrate the animals we saved during all these years.
- OUR NEWS07/04/2023
Waiting list for schools that want to visit the ARCHELON Rescue Centre
Thousands of Greek students visit the Centre and get informed about the value of protecting the environment through contact with a particularly beloved animal, the sea turtle. "All the available visiting hours until the end of the 2022-2023 school year have been booked, but there is a waiting list that is activated in case of cancellations", says Anna Kontoleon, ARCHELON’s Education Officer. More hours for online tours may be added in May if volunteers become available.
- OUR NEWS28/03/2023
People are supporting wildlife conservation
The donations and "adoptions" made at the Rescue Centre in Glyfada, Attica and at ARCHELON’s field projects in Zakynthos, the Peloponnese and Crete in 2022, reached the amount of €350,000. We did a lot last year thanks to all these people, who also made it possible for us to continue this year.
- OUR NEWS24/03/2023
Gail Schofield
We learned with deep sadness the passing away of Gail Schofield, a pronounced sea turtle researcher and former ARCHELON volunteer. Read more…