Sporadic nests of sea turtles are important
One of the special features of this summer is the great interest of the public for the sporadic nests of sea turtle that are made in different parts of the Greek coastline, from the south i.e. Rhodes, Sitia, Naxos, Paros to Corfu, Volos and Epanomi in the north of Greece.
Attica, the region with Athens, the Greek capital, was one of the surprises on the lists of locations this year, with 3 nests recorded in the Porto Rafti-Avlaki area, and one in Anavyssos. "It is not completely unusual to find a nest in Attica, it is something that has happened again in recent years," says Panagiota Theodorou, Coordinator of legal and institutional issues at ARCHELON. "The sporadic appearance of individual sea turtle nests in various parts of Greece is common due to the country's extensive coastline," she continues.
So what does sporadic sea turtle nesting mean?
It is known that sea turtles are migratory animals, which travel very long distances. In terms of their reproduction, however, two types of behaviors have been observed. One, the most common, is characterized by "philopatry", i.e. upon sexual maturity the adult female turtles return to the site where they were hatched, to make their own nests. The second is less common and is observed when, during their travels, they find themselves in the need to lay their eggs on a nearby beach. This is the phenomenon of "sporadic nesting", which leads us to locate some nests of sea turtles on beaches where no significant nesting is observed every year.
So each nest can be important for the future survival of sea turtles in a changing climate. That is why nest information that any citizen might have is valuable for the survival of sea turtles. "ARCHELON systematically records the nests that are reported every year in various places, either when a sea turtle comes out on the beach or when the little turtles appear" says Dimitris Fytilis, manager of the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Center.
Ten days after baby turtles hatched from their nests in Attica, a small ARCHELON team performed the excavations of the nests and found out the percentage of eggs that hatched successfully.
"The public excavations were a great opportunity to meet with the citizens and the Coast Guards who cared for the nests in Attica. They were able to see the results of their efforts and in one case to watch one last hatchling on its way to the sea. We thank them warmly as well as all those who have contacted us with nest records from various parts of Greece, where unfortunately we will not be able to go "continues Dimitris.
If anyone sees a sea turtle or turtle tracks or nest or turtles on the shore, they can contact ARCHELON at 6941 511 511 or rescue.archelon@gmail.com, to receive the appropriate / necessary instructions on how they can help .
The Sea Turtle Rescue Center of ARCHELON in the 3rd Marina of Glyfada is open for public visits and the current protection measures are applied to prevent the spread of COVID-19. See how you can organize your visit at https://www.archelon.gr/eng/help11.php?mid=1&mid2=96
Looking for male sea turtles in Amvrakikos Gulf
The challenge of conservation in a top tourist destination and sustainable tourism
RECENT NEWS
- OUR NEWS26/06/2024
Sea Turtles Surprise us: if you see tracks on the beach, help ARCHELON's research!
Not all beaches on Greece's extensive coastline are suitable for sea turtle nesting, but sometimes these marine reptiles surprise us! This summer, ARCHELON is asking for your help to investigate a phenomenon called "sporadic nesting".
- OUR NEWS17/06/2024
ATTENTION! Sea turtles are not pets: Do not touch them or feed them!
In areas where a sea turtle associates human presence with food, it’s behavior changes. The turtle treats humans as well as other turtles as competitors in its feeding grounds and tries to drive them away with bites.
- OUR NEWS16/06/2024
30 Years of Hope: The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre of ARCHELON Celebrates World Sea Turtle Day
Every year on June 16th, we celebrate World Sea Turtle Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about these magnificent creatures and the threats they face. This year is particularly important for ARCHELON, as the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre marks 30 years of operation.
- OUR NEWS13/06/2024
Poster contest for children and young adults: Welcome the 2024 turtle hatchlings on the beaches!
Watercolors, markers, collage, computer, phone? Everything is useful. Use your creativity and imagination to make an A3 or A4 size poster announcing that the 2024 sea turtle eggs are about to hatch.
- OUR NEWS17/05/2024
Amvrakikos Project 2024: Special Call for a Field Leader
ARCHELON is looking for a highly motivated person to lead its project in Amvrakikos Gulf, one of the few foraging sites for loggerhead turtles in Greece linking several populations nesting across the Mediterranean region.
- OUR NEWS16/05/2024
Τhe nesting of loggerhead sea turtles started earlier this year and the effects of the climate crisis on the oceans are worrying
For the first time, in the 40 years of ARCHELON records, the first sea turtle nest was found in Laganas Gulf, Zakythos on May 10th. Scientific predictions of the nesting season moving earlier in the spring due to climate change are being confirmed.
- OUR NEWS14/05/2024
Save Turtles, See Greece on a Budget
Dreaming of pristine Greek beaches and a chance to make a real difference? Here's why June and September are the perfect months to volunteer with sea turtle conservation efforts in Greece!
- OUR NEWS02/05/2024
Sea Turtle Festival for Kids 2024
Save the date! On Saturday 18 May at 11:00, the ARCHELON Rescue Centre opens its doors to welcome young and old sea turtle friends who want to celebrate, explore, learn, play and travel magically in the Mediterranean Sea. We are waiting for you to strengthen our message for a better and sustainable planet!
- OUR NEWS02/05/2024
A successful year for the International Sea Turtle Symposium
The International Sea Turtle Symposium concluded triumphantly this March in Pattaya, Thailand, with ARCHELON actively participating.
- OUR NEWS29/04/2024
A Morning Beach Patrol with ARCHELON
The camera lens of Stefanos and Maria of SteMajourneys caught a rare sight in the early morning: a Loggerhead sea turtle nesting! The volunteers in Chania took action right away to protect the nest.
- OUR NEWS26/04/2024
Protecting sea turtles in Rethymno- Our Ocean, an Ocean of Potential
The 9th International Conference "Our Ocean", which was held in Athens from April 15 to 17, was successfully completed. ARCHELON had the honor to actively take part in the conference and hosted a side event.
- OUR NEWS12/04/2024
Coordination for the protection of sea turtles in Rethymno: Local authorities and tourism businesses join forces
The meeting, which took place on April 5, 2024, in the building of the Regional Unit of Rethymno, touched upon key issues, such as the observance of conservation measures for the protection of the Loggerhead sea turtle. Given the tourist activity on the nesting beaches, the active participation of the tourism sector in the implementation of the measures is necessary.
- OUR NEWS10/04/2024
"Tourists and turtles?" The environmental awareness campaign of ARCHELON spreads to the nesting beaches of the Loggerhead sea turtle
After the pandemic, ARCHELON - the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece - is once again mobilizing on the path to sustainable tourism. The aim of the new campaign is to provide information on the appropriate code of conduct for visitors to all nesting beaches, in cooperation with the tourism sector.
- OUR NEWS04/04/2024
LIFE MareNatura - The largest marine biodiversity program in Greece
- OUR NEWS03/04/2024
Citizens inform us of sea turtle strandings
ARCHELON started the effort to record the incidents of dead turtles washing up on the Greek shores in 1992. In recent years there has been an increase in these records which may be due to more of our fellow citizens reporting such incidents. Learn more…