What is it that ARCHELON does, finally?
ARCHELON is a very busy organization throughout the year, but December is especially a time of outreach for volunteers and fund raising. All our efforts contribute to the rescue and conservation of sea turtles in Greece. If you like what we do, join us and support us! But what is it that we do, in a nutshell?
ARCHELON volunteers record and protect about 5000 nests on nesting beaches every summer. We monitor about 140 km of coastline, but through our rescue network we maintain data on occasional sea turtle nesting and sightings from all over Greece. We monitor the movements of turtles at sea with simple tags and satellite tagging and we collect population data on feeding grounds. This information is combined with data from other countries and it is used to assess the conservation status of the loggerhead population in the Mediterranean.
We talk to people, the authorities, local businesses, tourists, schools about the conservation measures and monitor their implementation on the nesting beaches in Zakynthos, the Peloponnese and Crete. We talk to more than 120.000 tourists and people near the beach and more than 200 administrators at different levels every year. We collaborate with tour operators and hotel managers who support our aims and efforts. ARCHELON welcomes initiatives related to nature and sustainable tourism near the nesting beaches.
Aside from the nesting beaches, there is the Rescue network and the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Glyfada, near Athens. ARCHELON’s Rescue Centre is a year-round hub of activity. Dedicated staff and volunteers receive and treat more than 70 injured or sick sea turtles rescued throughout Greece annually. The causes of illness include swallowing marine litter, especially plastic debris, fishing lines and hooks. Injuries are due to accidental entanglement in fishing nets, collisions with speed boats or deliberate human actions.
More than half of the rescued animals are successfully rehabilitated and released back to their natural habitat, the sea. We are part of a national network for rescuing wildlife and also maintain collaboration with relevant experts from all over the world.
Treatment and rehabilitation of rescued sea turtles triggers public awareness on a number of environmental issues and we welcome students, groups, families on special educational tours. More than 12,000 schoolchildren are attending our educational programs every year. ARCHELON volunteers are always keen to share their experience with visitors during the open hours of the Rescue Centre.
Donate: https://www.archelon.gr/eng/donations.php?mid=8&mid2=89
Adopt a sea turtle: https://www.archelon.gr/eng/sponsor_aturtle_form.php?mid=8&mid2=22
Become a volunteer: https://www.archelon.gr/eng/volunt.php?mid=2
NEWS FLASH!!! Apply for a Field Leader before January 9, 2020!
A loggerhead making a nest with her flipper wrapped in a fishing net
RECENT NEWS
- OUR NEWS24/03/2025
Become a Guardian of the Night: Volunteer with ARCHELON
On some select beaches, volunteer duties also include night patrols. During the hours when the presence of people on the nesting beaches is prohibited so as not to disturb the turtles, our trained volunteers start their shift, equipped with measuring instruments, research notebooks and red flashlights.
- OUR NEWS14/03/2025
Enriching the lives of rescued sea turtles
A recent study at ARCHELON's Sea Turtle Rescue Centre highlights the importance of environmental enrichment in improving the physical and psychological well-being of rescued sea turtles, aiding their rehabilitation and preparing them for successful release back into the wild.
- OUR NEWS24/02/2025
ARCHELON's Annual General Assembly
According to article 8 of the Statutes of ARCHELON Association, its’ members were invited to attend the Annual General Assembly on Saturday, 22 February 2025.
- OUR NEWS20/02/2025
From the ARCHELON’s Rescue Centre in Egypt!
A sea turtle, previously rehabilitated at the ARCHELON’s Rescue Centre, has once again made headlines, this time internationally. The tagged turtle was discovered weak and injured on an Egyptian beach after the recent rough seas. This incident, as reported by the Egyptian news agency, underscores the ongoing need to protect the fragile Mediterranean marine environment.
- OUR NEWS17/02/2025
ARCHELON's turtle toy travels the country with students and teachers
We would like to warmly thank all the schools that participated in the Online Tours during the 2023-2024 school year and spread the message of sea turtle protection to the ends of the country! The online tours for the current school year have already started.
- OUR NEWS12/02/2025
Online Presentation of Results 2024
Last year, 500 volunteers from all over the world came to help turtles in Greece! What did they achieve? Join us to find out!
- OUR NEWS11/02/2025
Historic Green Sea Turtle Nest Discovered on Rhodes Island, Greece
This species is globally endangered and the recent discovery is particularly significant as it suggests a possible shift in green turtle breeding areas.
- OUR NEWS04/02/2025
Joanne's Lifelong Passion: volunteering at the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Centre
Joanne's lifelong passion for sea turtles led her to volunteer at the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Greece, where she dedicates her time to educating visitors and contributing to the organization's conservation efforts.
- OUR NEWS02/02/2025
2 years of joint systematic efforts to protect Greece's largest wetland
- OUR NEWS28/01/2025
The ARCHELON Recap for 2024: We kept on fighting for Sea Turtles and the protection of the Oceans
2024 was the year that the recovery of the loggerhead sea turtle breeding population in Kyparissia Bay has been confirmed! This site now hosts the largest breeding population in the Mediterranean, which has been growing steadily in the past years thanks to the consistent long-term nest protection efforts of ARCHELON. It was also the warmest year globally on record when, on the side of our heavy core business workload, we made time to strengthen our commitment to volunteerism and sustainable tourism.
- OUR NEWS20/01/2025
Thank You to our 2024 Field Leaders: The Heart of Sea Turtle Conservation
At ARCHELON, we owe much of our success to the dedication and passion of our Field Leaders. These incredible individuals guide our volunteers throughout their work in the field, ensuring that our mission to protect sea turtles is carried out with precision, care, and enthusiasm.
- OUR NEWS16/01/2025
The sweet side of healing: Why honey is a secret weapon for saving injured sea turtles.
The antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of honey help fight infections in open wounds, a common problem for injured sea turtles.
- OUR NEWS18/12/2024
An injured Loggerhead sea turtle returns to the ARCHELON Rescue Centre with plastics in its digestive system.
Greece has made progress in cutting down on plastic bag use, but we all need to do more. Sea pollution from plastic is still a major threat, harming both people and marine life.
- OUR NEWS06/12/2024
ARCHELON is on the Frontline of Sea Turtle Rescue in the Mediterranean.
For the first time, we have conducted CT scans for accurate diagnoses and started special blood tests and ultrasounds to monitor the health of sea turtles under our care.
- OUR NEWS03/12/2024
Summer 2025: Lead the Way in Sea Turtle Conservation and become a Field Leader with ARCHELON!
A limited number of experienced and capable volunteers are selected each year for the positions of Field Leaders on the ARCHELON projects. Applications and short CVs for 2025 are now accepted!