Over 5,800 nests monitored by daily walking on sea turtle nesting beaches in 2022!
Over 5,800 nests monitored by daily walking on sea turtle nesting beaches in 2022!
Each year the breeding success of the loggerhead sea turtle is affected by weather, soil erosion, predation by wild animals, and human activities on the nesting beaches. In order to document and protect the nests and the hatchlings, trained ARCHELON researchers and volunteers camp near the most important nesting beaches of the country from May until the beginning of October.
In the summer of 2022, ARCHELON volunteers/researchers managed to cover about 100 kilometres of nesting beaches. "The density of nests is not the same on every beach. Τhe highest density of nests was observed, as every year, in Laganas Bay of Zakynthos (5.5 km), and in the southern Kyparissia Bay (9.5 km)", says Michalis Souroulidis, Project Manager for West Peloponnese.
The greatest nesting activity was recorded in the Peloponnese with 4,280 nests, surpassing the average number of nests in the region of the previous decade. In the Peloponnese, ARCHELON is active on the beaches of Kotychi, Kyparissia Bay, Romanos, Koroni, Lakonikos Bay and Evrotas, while 16 kilometres of nesting beaches in south-eastern Lakonia are covered by the Tulipa Goulimi Association in collaboration with ARCHELON .
In Laganas bay of Zakynthos in 2022 more than 1,180 nests were recorded and protected with the assistance of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos (Management Unit of Zakynthos and Ainos National Parks and Protected Areas of the Ionian islands, N.E.C.C.A.). The number of nests has remained relatively stable over the last decade.
In Crete, ARCHELON volunteers recorded and protected around 380 nests on more than 30 kilometres in Rethymno, Chania and Messara Bay. The number of nests is at the levels of the last decade.
Volunteers wake up at dawn every day and walk on the nesting beaches under the hot sun to find sea turtle tracks that are left on the sand the night before. These tracks will lead them to the nests with the eggs, which are well hidden inside the warm sand. Around the nests they find, they place special cages, which protect the eggs, both from predation by wild animals and from human activities. Nests that were made in "dangerous" places with high human activity are moved by the volunteers in more suitable places. Around the nests that are threatened by light pollution, a few days before hatching, shades are placed to prevent the disorientation of hatchlings. When the eggs start to hatch, the volunteers are there once again to monitor and protect their journey towards the sea.
More than 240,000 sea turtle hatchlings are estimated to have reached the Mediterranean Sea from the nesting beaches of Greece thanks to the efforts of ARCHELON’s volunteers. The baby turtles are food for many marine creatures and, often enough, they are accidentally caught in fishermen's nets. Few of them will make it to adulthood, somewhere between one in 1,000 and one in 10,000.
“We are grateful to everyone who walked on the nesting beaches, recorded and protected the nests. In a few months, another demanding summer for the protection of the sea turtle breeding in Greece begins. The volunteering groups are organized right now. We are looking forward to the summer with optimism", says Michalis Souroulidis, Project Manager for West Peloponnese.
Become one of the 2023 volunteers on the nesting beaches: Learn how now!
More than half of the rehabilitated sea turtles got released back to the sea in 2022!
A new ancient giant sea turtle was found in Europe
RECENT NEWS
- 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
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- OUR NEWS07/06/2023
Announcement for all past volunteers of ARCHELON: Shall we meet this September?
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- 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…
- OUR NEWS20/03/2023
More than half of the rehabilitated sea turtles got released back to the sea in 2022!
The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre of ARCHELON in Glyfada rescues, takes care of and rehabilitates injured sea turtles from all parts of Greece since 1994. More than half of the sea turtles that were under care at the Rescue Centre in 2022 got released back to the sea after reaching full recovery this year! Read more…