Messages of love from the world turtle community!
Celebrating ARCHELON's 40th Anniversary we have received warm messages from the turtle community worldwide

My hearty congratulations for all your contributions to marine turtle conservation and science!
Professor Frank V. Paladino, President of The Leatherback Trust, Director of The Marine Conservation & Biology Center of Excellence, Purdue University, USA
CONGRATULATIONS! A few years ago, after reading Anna's book "This is what I would like to tell you" (marking the 30th anniversary) I was convinced more than ever that ARCHELON should have permanent support from the EU - and the UN-, and moreover. Every delegation of these auspicious international organizations must participate in at least a couple days' fieldwork every year with ARCHELON volunteers. There could be no better way to build and strengthen much needed collaboration between diverse people.
Dr Jack Frazer, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA
Congratulations ARCHELON! For many more years!!!
Dr Jesús TOMÁS, Unidad de Zoología Marina, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Spain
Much as I would love a little trip to Greece to celebrate with you I will not be able to, but many congratulations! What an amazing achievement!
Professor Annette C. Broderick, Chair in Marine Conservation, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
Congratulations ARCHELON! I am sure that this is a “life commitment”, and I really admire your work for such long time!
Neca Azevedo Marcovaldi, PhD, Diretora Nacional Conservação e Pesquisa, Fundação Projeto Tamar, Brazil
Congratulations for the 40th anniversary of ARCHELON. I am happy of having collaborated so many years with you (over 30 yrs) and, like many other conservation organizations, benefited from your very sound work. I will never forget my first visit to the beaches of Zakynthos, the thrill of seeing a turtle lying eggs. I wish you all a most success celebration and all the very best for the next 40 years.
Eladio Fernandez-Galiano, Secretariat of Bern Convention, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France
Congratulations for this anniversary and the work done. The large increase of loggerhead nesting in western Mediterranean sea that we observed these last years is (I believe it!) certainly not disconnected with the conservation effort you manage since all these years in the eastern Mediterranean!
Claude Miaud, PhD, Directeur, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, France
Congratulations for this anniversary and your conservation efforts done along 40 years. Hope you will continue!
Mohamed Nejmeddine Bradai, PhD, Director, Institute of Marine Resources, Sfax, Tunisia
Congratulations ARCHELON!
Dr Burak Ali Çiçek, Eastern Mediterranean University, Northern Cyprus
My most sincere congratulations for all the decades of work to better understand, publicize and protect sea turtles from your country Greece with your leadership. Just as Greece was once a light that illuminated culture in the Mediterranean, ARCHELON has also been our role model for many years in this field of research and conservation that we are passionate about. On behalf of the Spanish Society of Herpetology and on my own, my warmest congratulations on this happy 40th anniversary.
Juan A. Camiñas, PhD, Asociación Herpetológica Española, Spain
Wonderful to hear about the 40 years of ARCHELON! Congratulations and all the best for your celebrations.
Professor Kartik Shanker, Indian Institute of Science, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Bangalore, India
Congratulations! Your group has done fantastic work over the past four decades!! Enjoy your well-deserved celebration!
Jeanne A. Mortimer, PhD, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
Congratulations on 40 years of amazing success! I first visited you in the late 1980s, back when you were dealing with thugs on the beach. Unfortunately, I cannot make the 40th anniversary celebration, but I have the day marked on my calendar. There will be glasses lifted in Hawaii on November 8, to celebrate the many accomplishments of ARCHELON!
Professor Brian Bowen, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii
Forty years later: the world of ARCHELON has expanded
When the past becomes a lighthouse for the future
RECENT NEWS
- OUR NEWS23/10/2026
ARCHELON's Virtual Tours Return for the 2026–2027 School Year!
A new school year filled with knowledge, creativity, and sea turtles is about to begin! Bookings for ARCHELON's virtual tours open on Monday, October 26, while the first tours will take place on Monday, November 2, 2026.
- OUR NEWS21/10/2026
Incident on Polyaigos Island: ARCHELON Calls on Authorities to Investigate the Death of a Sea Turtle
- OUR NEWS14/10/2026
The examinations behind every diagnosis: A vital step in sea turtle rehabilitation
This is where diagnostic examinations play a crucial role. X-rays are an invaluable tool for our rehabilitation team, both upon admission and throughout the recovery process, helping us determine the appropriate treatment and monitor each turtle’s progress.
- OUR NEWS09/10/2026
“Guardians of our ancient sea”: The 8th Mediterranean Conference on Marine Turtles takes place in Greece
The conference is expected to host 240 delegates from 20 Mediterranean countries, including leading researchers and scientists, as well as representatives from protected area management bodies and environmental organizations.
- OUR NEWS06/10/2026
A Wildlife Weekend at the Museum
On the weekend of October 3rd and 4th, ARCHELON participated in the "Wild Weekend", a two-day celebration dedicated to wildlife at the Goulandris Natural History Museum.
- OUR NEWS01/10/2026
October for sea turtles: Help us care for our sea turtle patients this winter
This October, we are launching a fundraising campaign with one clear goal: to raise €5,000 to support the care of our sea turtle patients through the end of 2026.
- OUR NEWS25/09/2026
Together for Crete’s nesting beaches: "Turtle-Friendly Hotel" award ceremonies in Chania and Rethymno
ARCHELON hosted the award ceremonies for the new Turtle-Friendly Hotel certification, as part of the TUI Turtle Aid Greece program in Crete.
- OUR NEWS23/09/2026
We bade farewell to Omiros, the blind sea turtle that traveled from Greece to Cornwall
In September 2026 Omiros, a male Loggerhead sea turtle with a remarkable story, passed away. He had spent the last 16 years of his life at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Cornwall, having traveled there from Greece.
- OUR NEWS10/09/2026
Sea turtles kept in a restaurant tank in Chania: True love for nature begins with respect.
We all feel a sense of excitement when we encounter a wild animal up close. It is only natural to want to connect with nature, observe it and understand it better.
- OUR NEWS09/09/2026
Schools are back at ARCHELON! A new year full of learning and action
The new school year is beginning, and with it, the voices, questions, and excitement of thousands of students return to ARCHELON’s Sea Turtle Rescue Centre.
- OUR NEWS06/09/2026
Sea Turtle Hatchlings Captivated All Ages in Corfu
- OUR NEWS01/09/2026
Taking time off work to volunteer for the sea turtles in Greece: Amy’s month with ARCHELON in southern Peloponnese
When Amy Carey was 10 years old, she came face to face with a sea turtle while on holiday in Greece. Decades later, at 47, she decided it was time to turn that childhood memory into reality.
- OUR NEWS13/08/2026
Hatchlings need help in September and October: Special volunteer offer for 2 weeks!
In order to protect the nests and the last hatchlings of this year, we need the help of more volunteers!
- OUR NEWS10/08/2026
One beach party canceled, 66 nests saved in Chania!
A significant victory for the protection of sea turtles in Chania, thanks to the direct cooperation of ARCHELON and NECCA.
- OUR NEWS07/08/2026
Sea turtles of the Saronic Gulf: Why feeding them is not an act of love
The Municipality of Saronikos and ARCHELON are campaigning for the safe and proper coexistence of bathers and wildlife.


