On the 28th of June the number of nests surpassed the 1.000 mark for 2016 in Southern Kyparissiakos Bay. During the last years, ARCHELON’s efforts for the protection of the sea turtles have borne fruit by increasing the number of Caretta caretta nests.

It has been more than 30 years now that the first lovers of sea turtle Caretta arrived in the area of Kyparissiakos Bay and started monitoring and then protecting the nests of this ancient seafaring reptile that in past times used to be regarded as the sacred animal of goddess Aphrodite.

Since then, thousands of people from across the globe, from America to Asia and Australia have travelled to the area to be part of this conservation effort of a protected species that faces daily anthropogenic threats, which usually manifest from lack of understanding.

Each and every one of these people will treasure for the rest of their lives this intimate experience of the life cycle of this reptile that lives in the sea and visits our beaches just to nest! Each and every one of these people having walked tens of kilometres daily during sunrise to sunset in Kyparissiakos Bay are now connected to this place and they feel deep respect for it. Each and every one of these people in this endless landscape of sand has been touched, has given their blood, sweat and tears, has felt love and ultimately shared in this enormous feat of protection of the Kyparissiakos Bay.

Thirty years later these people continue visiting the area full of emotion for the time they spent here but also for the effort that keeps us full of passion and conserves the area as close as nature intended.

Whilst waiting for the first hatchlings to reach Mediterranean sea from Kyparissiakos Bay, we hope that ARCHELON’s efforts will set an example for environmental protection throughout Greece, once is gone it is lost forever!

Information: Polymnia Nestoridou, Peloponnese Project Coordinator, Tel.:: +30 6951009785