What happened in the world of ARCHELON in 2023?
January
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The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Glyfada, Athens was already quite busy on the first month of the year with 6 arrivals of injured and sick loggerhead turtles.
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On January 20th and 21st, ARCHELON hosted at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Glyfada, the 2nd Workshop "Creating a Cooperation Network of Organizations Active in the Care of Wild Animals in Greece". This project is implemented within the framework of the Active Citizens Fund program, which is part of the financial mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA), and has as its vision to promote closer and more effective cooperation between the organizations involved in the care of wild animals in Greece. There with other wildlife organizations, we discussed various common concerns and attended interesting talks on wildlife welfare and rehabilitation.
February
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Have you ever wondered what is going on in one of ARCHELON’s Sea Turtle Protection projects? We got a taste of the life of an ARCHELON volunteer at the Rethymno Project with the new short film by EyeQ Productions. What will you do this summer? Is it your turn to save the sea turtles? Watch the movie and learn more about ARCHELON’s sea turtle protection projects here.
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Knowledge and experience regarding the treatment and care of injured and sick sea turtles is increasing worldwide. This led to a workshop on February 11th and 12th on modern methods of rescue and care for sea turtles. The workshop was hosted by ARCHELON and the help of Wildlife Vets International, a non-profit organization from Britain, which has been supporting ARCHELON with educational visits from specialized scientists, as well as with medical and pharmaceutical material since 2019.
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On February 20, we got together at Impact Hub in Athens for the Presentation of the Results of the 2022 actions! After two years of online presentations due to the pandemic, we finally managed to meet the friends and members of ARCHELON in person.
March
We welcomed ‘Tortellini’ at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Athens, another case of a sea turtle with a severe carapace injury caused by a boat propeller.
April
The Field Leaders got ready for the new turtle season and attended the online training seminar on April 25-28 before they arrived at the nesting beaches.
Are you an experienced volunteer? Come back to the sea turtle conservation as a leader! Read all about it here!
May
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On the 5th of May, we waved goodbye to the Project Managers and the Field leaders for the nesting beaches!
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On Saturday, May 27, the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Centre looked different from all other days of the year because it welcomed hundreds of young and old visitors for the Turtle Festival 2023!
June
On June 9th, the Kastoria Environmental Protection Society hosted the closing event of the project "Collaboration Network of Organizations Active in the Care of Wild Animals in Greece". As part of the event, the members of the Network agreed and signed a code of conduct about the care, welfare, and reintegration of wild animals they care for. It is worth looking back on what Daphne Mavrogiorgos, the Director of ARCHELON said about the Project coming to an end. “The project is completed, but our alliance does not stop here. The organizations that are members of the network will continue the cooperation in the next period because there are still issues that we need to work on and discuss."
July
On the 4th and 5th of July 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 in collaboration with ARCHELON. The partners, which are NGOS and regional organizations that work for sea turtle conservation across the Mediterranean, informed each other about their activities and plans and agreed on specific actions to sustain the partnership and the conservation activities around the Mediterranean.
August
- World record of reproductive life for a loggerhead sea turtle in Zakynthos! The lucky turtle, first spotted in Zakynthos in 1986 and given the name Gaia, was once again recorded by ARCHELON's trained researchers/volunteers nesting on Sekania beach in Zakynthos this year, thus confirming a full 37 years of reproductive activity.
- The European Commission arrived at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Glyfada and at Kyparissia Bay to learn more about the conservation of sea turtles in the Mediterranean. Watch the whole episode [here](https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/08/29/saving-lives-in-the-mediterranean-one-turtle-or-dolphin-at-a-time?fbclid=IwAR2yjqxFbbXT5uXDICAiW7Rn4R84L6X3s6lUvZ8QLOpti6eq0cBU12vRIWM
September
- The ARCHELON Rescue Centre welcomed once again our small friends with the beginning of the new school year.
- After 3 years of rehabilitation the moment of Lilo’s release arrived. He was transported to a quiet beach in Attica, where the ARCHELON team said goodbye to him. Lilo, with quick splashes, had finally returned to his home, the sea… Watch Lilo’s release back to the sea here.
October
Another successful reproductive season for sea turtles has come to an end and the Project Managers, Field Leaders and volunteers of ARCHELON packed up the research stations from the nesting beaches and returned to the Rescue Centre.
November
On November 8th ARCHELON celebrated 40 years of action at the Benaki Museum in Athens! Watch the whole video here and read more about it here 2023 ended with warm messages from the turtle community, friends, and supporters. We hope that the new year will bring alliances between organizations, better management in the protected areas and the will to contribute.
Happy new year!
ARCHELON has been running a special hospital for sea turtles with tanks and impressive old train wagons for 30 years in Glyfada
Assuming responsibility for the environment brings more meaning into our lives
RECENT NEWS
- OUR NEWS01/07/2025
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- OUR NEWS23/06/2025
Enjoy the Beaches Responsibly: Together We Protect the Sea Turtles of Kyparissia Bay!
So far, more than 2,000 nests have been recorded in the area. In order to best manage the protected beaches, we have adapted our field work protocols.
- OUR NEWS16/06/2025
World Sea Turtle Day: We can all live together!
Today, June 16th, we celebrate World Sea Turtle Day. On this occasion, ARCHELON expresses its warmest thanks to all citizens, volunteers, donors and supporters who actively contribute to our work.
- OUR NEWS10/06/2025
New Adaptation Strategies for Sea Turtles and Mediterranean Monk Seals
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- OUR NEWS08/06/2025
World Oceans Day: Conservation and Anthropogenic “Wounds” in Laganas Bay, Zakynthos
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- OUR NEWS06/06/2025
Sekania: History of the most precious refuge for the Loggerhead in Zakynthos
Sekania, a secluded 600-meter-long beach in Zakynthos, is a global model of success in biodiversity conservation, with more than 24,000 sea turtle nests recorded over the last 40 years.
- OUR NEWS05/06/2025
World Environment Day: Keeping Sea Turtle Nesting Beaches Safe from Plastics and Bulldozers
On June 5th, we celebrate World Environment Day, a day established by the United Nations in 1972. This year’s theme is #BeatPlasticPollution, and ARCHELON is calling for action on the sea turtle nesting beaches.
- OUR NEWS02/06/2025
Sea Turtles Return to Crete: A Shared Victory for Nature and Sustainable Travel
ARCHELON volunteers have just located the first sea turtle nests of the season on the beaches of Rethymno, Messara, and Chania. Now the challenge to prove that tourism destinations on Crete can make a significant move towards sustainability is on again.
- OUR NEWS29/05/2025
Amvrakikos Project 2025: 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 NEWS22/05/2025
Sea turtle nesting has begun in Greece: learn what to look out for!
The first nests for 2025 have already been located and protected at Laganas beach in Zakynthos, Elaia beach in Kyparissia Bay and Pachia Ammos beach in Messara Bay in Crete!
- OUR NEWS16/05/2025
Advancing sea turtle photo-ID research with artificial intelligence
Sea turtle facial scales remain stable throughout a turtle’s life allowing researchers to recognise individuals from photos, often taken over decades!
- OUR NEWS15/05/2025
Kyparissia Bay: Balancing Nature and Tourism
Αs the popularity of the protected area increases and pressures from tourism and climate change intensify, the question that arises is: How many people can this beach “bear” without degrading the environment?
- OUR NEWS07/05/2025
Discover the secret nature of Crete: Sea Turtle Beach Walk with ARCHELON
Live a unique ecotourism experience in Crete by participating in ARCHELON Sea Turtle Beach Walks on the nesting beaches of the Loggerhead, starting on May 15th in Chania and Rethymno. Now open for reservations on our website!
- OUR NEWS24/04/2025
Are You Over 50? The Sea Turtles Need You!
If you’re 50 or older and ready to dive into a unique conservation experience, we warmly invite you to join us. Help protect sea turtles, meet like-minded people, and discover the natural beauty of Greece with ARCHELON by your side.
- OUR NEWS22/04/2025
Turning the Tide: Sea Turtle Populations Show Signs of Recovery Worldwide
The first, after a decade, global study brings encouraging news for sea turtle conservation: more than half of their populations across the globe show signs of recovery. Listed among the authors is the Research Coordinator of ARCHELON, Aliki Panagopoulou PhD, who is mobilizing the long term field work of our Society on the nesting beaches of Greece.