May 8^th, May 26^th and June 2^nd are the respective starting dates for ARCHELON’s conservation projects in the Peloponnese, which will be completed by the end of September. People from many countries, including Greece, many of them of young age, as well as groups and families are applying for participation in the loggerhead conservation projects on the nesting beaches of Kyparissia, Lakonikos and Koroni.
 

Come this year's Spring Equinox, the first loggerhead sea turtles were once again spotted mating in the blue waters of the Ionian Sea. Many of them arrived here after a long journey through the Mediterranean Sea. Later in May, females will start laying their eggs on the beaches of Laganas bay, designated as part of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos and the Strofades islands (NMPZ) since 1999.

Fourteen environmental non-governmental organizations in Greece, have expressed their satisfaction regarding the issuance of a Presidential Decree for the Kyparissia Bay (EU Natura 2000 sites GR 2550005, GR 2330005 and GR 2330008).

A review of all available information for the two sea turtles breeding in the Mediterranean In (loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta and green turtle Chelonia mydas) was published recently. Three members of ARCHELON, D. Margaritoulis, A.Panagopoulou and A.F. Rees, participated in this work, presenting the most significant data that are collected in ARCHELON projects every year.

Mid June this year, ARCHELON’s team started a new, exciting project in southern Kyparissia Bay, funded by MAVA Foundation. Satellite tags were deployed in 9 loggerhead turtles in order to investigate their movements at sea.

Everybody is invited to the release of "Anastasia" that will take place on Tuesday, July 3rd, at 11:00 am, in front of the Caramel Grecotel Boutique Resort in the Adele area of Rethymno.

On May 27^th, ARCHELON’s volunteers spotted the first sea turtle nest of Lakonikos Bay on Mavrovouni beach for the season.
 

On May 22nd, during the first visit of the ARCHELON volunteers to the nesting beaches for 2018, two Caretta caretta nests were discovered. The nests were located in the areas of Agia Marina and Gerani and were marked for protection purposes.

Earlier than in previous years, the Caretta caretta sea turtles appeared on the beaches of Rethymno to lay their eggs. The first nest of 2018 was located by the experienced ARCHELON volunteers in Adelianos Kampos on May 20th, while on the same day, tracks of a laying attempt were recorded within the city of Rethymno and in the Skaleta area.

The residents and visitors in the areas of Giannitsochori Ileias and Elaia Messinias, as well as the ARCHELON volunteers were unpleasantly surprised in the early hours of Tuesday, May 22nd 2018. Two-hundred and eighty motorized vehicles (motorcycles and four-wheeled motorcycles) traversed the beach for 5 hours, destroying the vegetation and dunes. The organizers were present at certain points of the route, indicating the exact route to the contestants, directly on the protected beach and the dunes.