Endangered baby turtles begin their journey to sea in Antalya

ANTALYA, Türkiye

The endangered Caretta caretta turtles have begun their journey to the sea at Mendirek Beach in the Turkish seaside resort of Antalya.

Members of the DEKAFOK Marine Conservation Centre at Mendirek beach of Manavgat district have taken measures to ensure that baby sea turtles reach their destination safely.

After the two-month incubation period, Caretta caretta hatchlings, also called loggerhead sea turtles, took their first steps into the cool waters of the Mediterranean.

Mehmet Cengiz Deval, a board member of DEKAFOK, said the center is conducting scientific studies on sea turtles in an area of 9.2 kilometers (5.7 miles) from the point where the Manavgat River flows into the sea to the Side region.

About their surprising findings, Deval said: “We have identified approximately 340 nests with eggs at Mendirek Beach since the end of May.

“This figure has the potential to be on the top three when compared to 21 other registered nesting sites in the country.”

Stating that this dense nesting area should be monitored more carefully, Deval noted that they wanted the 9.2-kilometer (5.7-mile) area to be registered as a nesting area.

He added that they expect the number of nests at the beach to increase to 400 this year and that approximately 20,000 Caretta caretta hatchlings will reach the sea.