About 3,600 nests of loggerhead sea turtles, also known as Caretta caretta, were observed on the beaches in Türkiye’s Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya.
Under the "Monitoring and Protecting Sea Turtles" project, which was prepared under the leadership of Hacettepe University Lecturer and Ecological Research Association (EKAD) President Ali Fuat Canbolat, the nesting processes of Caretta carettas and their offspring meeting with the sea are monitored on the beaches of Belek and Kızılot.
Some 2,000 of the nests were found in the Belek district and 1,600 others in the Kızılıot district of Antalya, one of Europe's largest Caretta caretta nesting areas.
From the eggs that the turtles buried under the sand as of May, offspring began hatching.
The offspring of the turtles, which are among the animals at risk of extinction in the world, came out of their eggs and reached the blue waters after a difficult journey.
Kerem Yekta Atatunç, the project assistant at EKAD told to AA that they identify the nests by conducting walks on the beaches in the mentioned districts. "Compared to previous years, we experienced an increase in the number of nests," he noted.
The loggerhead turtles are threatened by predators such as foxes, dogs, seagulls and crabs on this challenging journey, as well as by the garbage and plastics left by people on the beach.
