Summer excursions on the beaches for swimming have already begun. With them, started the sea turtle nesting season in Greece. Mother turtles came out of the sea during the night and buried their precious eggs in the warm sand. In the mornings, it's our turn to visit the beach for swimming and water games.

But we must be careful... Soon the little hatchlings will break their eggshells, emerge from their nests and begin their journey towards their home, the sea. If we come across sea turtle nests or hatchlings on a beach, there are a few rules to follow:

• We respect turtle nests that are protected with cages and carry warning signs.
• We do not touch or transport the hatchlings. They need to get to the sea on their own.
• We don't leave our trash on the beaches. We keep them clean for the turtles.
• We turn off the lights towards the beach so that the turtles don't lose their way.

Help us spread the message for protecting sea turtles by making your own turtle with natural materials found on the beach. Sand, stones, pebbles, shells, seaweed, sticks and whatever else you have available can be transformed into a sea turtle with a little imagination!

Take a photo and send us your project at awareness@archelon.gr , noting the beach you were on, your name and age. The contest will end on September 30, 2023!

Caution! Once you have taken the photo it is your responsibility to put the natural materials you used back in their place. We do not want to disturb the natural environment of the beach. After all, we share every beach with thousands of other creatures and every pebble has its place in the ecosystem.

At the end of autumn, we will prepare an online exhibition with your photos and invite you all to choose which ones you like the most! The most popular ones will be published on ARCHELON's social media and will decorate our Christmas cards.

Learn more about ARCHELON’s projects here.