January 2024 was the warmest January on record globally and the sea temperature near Attica allowed for the successful release of "Julia," a loggerhead sea turtle rescued from a severe head injury and treated at the ARCHELON Rescue Centre.

February’s main public event was the annual Presentation of Results, organised at a venue in Athens as well as at an open webinar a couple of weeks later. There ARCHELON announced the protection of over 10,000 loggerhead nests in 2023 and recognized the 540 volunteers who joined us in support of our projects.

In March, the environmental education programme for schools reached a new high! And while everyone else was busy preparing for the summer projects or at the Rescue Centre, a couple of ARCHELON colleagues actively participated in the International Sea Turtle Symposium in Thailand, presenting research findings and collaborating with international colleagues.

April witnessed a very important meeting with local authorities and tourism businesses in Rethymno to foster cooperation in sea turtle protection. This was followed by a successful side event at the "9th Our Ocean" International Conference in Athens, highlighting the importance of sustainable tourism practices in Rethymno.

In May our teams moved to the nesting beaches and there, they observed early nesting activity across key sites. This fact underscored the urgent need for continued research and proactive conservation measures in the face of climate change. At the same time, a successful Turtle Festival at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre engaged children and families with interactive activities and raised awareness about sea turtle conservation.

June brought successful releases of several loggerhead sea turtles treated at the Rescue Centre, including 'Croissant,' 'Dalma,' and 'Dumpling,' who had recovered from severe head injuries and hook ingestion. The month also witnessed a rescue operation in Kyparissia Bay for a disoriented female loggerhead that strayed onto watermelon fields behind the beach.

July was a very busy month: The first hatchlings of the season emerged at Kalamaki beach and Sekania in Laganas Bay, Zakynthos marking the beginning of the hatching season everywhere. We managed to successfully deploy satellite transmitters on 17 loggerhead sea turtles from the nesting beaches of Peloponnese and Crete, and started monitoring their movements at sea. ARCHELON organised the 1st Training Seminar of LIFE MareNatura’s Marine Conservation School in collaboration with NECCA, and provided training on sea turtle conservation to staff members of Protected Area Management Units.

In August, ARCHELON launched a new initiative in collaboration with WWF Greece to assess the conservation status of loggerhead sea turtle nesting sites in Greece. This project is carried out in the frame of the "Greek Wildlife Alliance" and aims to identify key threats to these habitats, such as coastal development and climate change, and develop effective conservation strategies.

In September we were grateful to receive the donation of a normobaric chamber by Wildlife Vets International, which significantly enhanced the Rescue Centre's capacity to treat injured sea turtles. The month also saw the successful wrap-up of the Amvrakikos project for 2024, marking two decades of research and conservation efforts by ARCHELON on the sea turtle feeding grounds of Amvrakikos Gulf.

October brought a remarkable achievement: Upon the completion of the monitoring and nest protection projects it was announced that approximately 13,000 loggerhead sea turtle nests - a record number- were recorded and protected by ARCHELON teams along 100 kilometers of nesting beaches in the Peloponnese, Zakynthos, and Crete. The month also marked successful releases of several rehabilitated sea turtles from the Rescue Centre, including "Tom Barney," "Elsa," "Luigi," and "Koopa".

November’s highlight was the announcement of a very special record: the amazing number of 6.700 loggerhead nests found in the 9,5 km of the core nesting area of Kyparissia Bay! This record is different from the much smaller increase of numbers of nests on Zakynthos and the rest of nesting sites in Greece. It confirms the recovery of the loggerhead sea turtle breeding population on this site due to the nest protection efforts by ARCHELON during the past decades. One day later, we had the release of "Triton," a rehabilitated loggerhead sea turtle, which, thanks to the TUI Turtle Aid program, was equipped with a satellite transmitter, which will allow the observation of the turtle’s movements at sea.

December began with the joyous release of 'Zoe', a loggerhead sea turtle previously rescued by ARCHELON in 2019 after a serious deliberate head injury. Sadly, two years later ‘Zoe’ was found weakened by ingested plastic debris. Following successful rehabilitation, he was released back into the sea. The year concluded with a festive Christmas celebration at the Rescue Centre, where visitors learned about sea turtle conservation and contributed to their protection.

While we achieved many important milestones, we recognize that none of these would be possible without the support of so many people, our staff and volunteers, our numerous supporters. Thank you! The challenges facing the oceans and sea turtle populations remain significant. We are committed to continuing our efforts and working towards a better future for these incredible creatures and their habitats.

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