Sea creatures need to be protected

The biggest aquarium in Europe with its turtle hospital and 83 meters ocean tunnel, Istanbul SEA LIFE hosts the largest shark family in Europe and has 15,000 sea animals. The aquarium tries to raise awareness worldwide for a natural world and to promote the protection of wild life through various organizations and via its 50 aquariums on four different continents. Recently, İT treated two turtles that had deadly wounds on their stomachs, heads, and flippers, and set them free in the sea at Mersin, where they were found. The facility is currently treating a loggerhead sea turtle that was found at the point of death on the shores of Çanakkale with serious injuries.

The loggerhead sea turtle, which is also called caretta caretta, was found in Çanakkale by a girl named Dilek in October. The turtle had a serious cut on his head when he was first discovered, and its caretakers named it after the girl who saved it. Turtle Dilek was first transferred to Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, then to the turtle hospital at the aquarium as the facility offers its services with expert veterinarians and scientists. Following the first examination, segmental fractures were discovered on the turtles head. In order to heal the wounds caused by the broken bones, it was given antibiotics and a serum containing sugar to prevent it experiencing any pain while eating. Dilek, who has answered the treatment very well underwent surgery to clean the broken bones on its head and put stitches in the open cuts. During its recovery, the caretta caretta will not be fed in order to prevent any infection to its wound. After its wound is totally healed, and its movements return to normal, it will remain under observation for a little longer for rehabilitation, as it still has air in its abdominal cavity and cannot maintain its balance. We certainly have a duty to protect sea turtles that nest on the Mediterranean and Aegean shores. Especially, endangered caretta carettas should be protected from harm. The overly-crowded shores cause caretta carettas to be afraid, preventing them from coming ashore. As their living spaces become smaller, they cannot find anywhere to lay their eggs.

Sometimes, caretta carettas get seriously injured by the propellers of boats while they are coming ashore to lay their eggs. From time to time, the iron parts of the sunbeds placed on the shores destroy the eggs that caretta carettas lay under the sand, or even kill the newborn baby turtles. We need to prevent dogs that walk on the beaches from digging the nests of the caretta carettas, and warn children about not playing with turtles if they see a mother coming ashore to lay eggs or baby caretta carettas returning to sea.