Tracked turtle Tuba stays remains off Türkiye’s Aegean, eastern Mediterranean coasts

MUGLA, TÜRKİYE

A loggerhead sea turtle named “Tuba,” fitted with a satellite tracker in western Türkiye, has remained off the country's Aegean Sea coast and in the eastern Mediterranean during her second monitored migration, rather than undertaking a long-distance journey to the Adriatic.

Tuba, a female estimated to be 25-30 years old, was first equipped with a satellite transmitter in 2019 by the Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER) in Mugla province, with support from the TUI Care Foundation. She was released from Iztuzu Beach near Dalyan in southwestern Türkiye.

Tuba later became the first sea turtle tracked from Türkiye to the Adriatic Sea.

After her 2019 release, she spent around two months in waters off the Marmaris district in western Türkiye before reaching Greece. She then traveled along the coasts of Malta, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, and Croatia, covering roughly 25,000 kilometers (15,534 miles) before reaching the Adriatic.

After returning to the nest, Tuba was fitted with a new satellite device in August before being released back into the sea.

10,000 kilometers traveled

Since Aug. 9, when Tuba was fitted with the tracker, she has traveled about 10,000 kilometers (over 6,200 miles).

Yakup Kaska, a biologist at Pamukkale University in Denizli province, told Anadolu that the team had previously tracked Tuba for nearly four years and resumed monitoring in 2025 with a new transmitter.

“We were very curious if she would follow the same route initially. She has been circling off Rhodes, around Bodrum, and south of Karaada, covering about 10,000 kilometers,” Kaska said.

He noted that while she had traveled a straight-line distance of about 2,000 kilometers, she largely remained within Turkish territorial waters.

“I estimate that Tuba will complete her first year in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. We are eagerly waiting to see if she will nest again or embark on another migration route,” he added.

Populations of loggerhead sea turtles in Türkiye

Satellite tracking is crucial for understanding how sea turtles use marine habitats and their preferred migration routes. Türkiye hosts significant nesting populations of loggerhead sea turtles, primarily along its Mediterranean and Aegean coasts.

Estimates suggest between 1,360 and 2,710 Caretta caretta sea turtle nests are typically laid on Turkish beaches in a year. Key nesting sites include Iztuzu Beach near Dalyan in Mugla province, also known as Turtle Beach, and Belek Beach in the Serik district of Antalya province, one of the country’s longest and most productive nesting areas. Other important sites include Patara, Cirali, and Side.

The species is classified as “vulnerable” globally on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, although some assessments consider the Mediterranean subpopulation to be of “least concern” due to stable or recovering trends in certain regions.

International conservation organizations involved in protection efforts include the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles (MEDASSET), and the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Marine Turtle Specialist Group.

DEKAMER, the group tracking Tuba, was founded in 2009. Involving Pamukkale University, as well as government ministries and local authorities, it operates in line with IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group guidelines.

Conservation efforts in Türkiye have contributed to rising nest numbers in recent years, but threats such as bycatch, habitat loss, marine pollution, and climate change continue to pose risks.

While some loggerhead populations have experienced historical declines, measures including protected nesting beaches and public awareness campaigns have supported positive trends in Türkiye. Experts warn, however, that continued monitoring and protection remain essential to prevent future population losses.