Belek beach in Türkiye's tourist-hub Antalya, renowned as the largest nesting ground for the caretta caretta species in the Mediterranean Basin and home to one of the world's endangered species, witnessed a heartening sight as approximately 153,000 hatchlings made their way to the sea from 4,126 nests.
Caretta carettas, classified as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list, find their principal nesting sites along the Antalya coast, notably in Belek.
The concerted efforts of various stakeholders including the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP), the 6th Regional Directorate of DKMP, universities, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and volunteers have been crucial in supporting the conservation initiatives for caretta carettas across multiple beaches over several years.
The Ecological Research Association (EKAD), in collaboration with the Belek Tourism Investors Association (BETUYAB) and governmental support, has dedicated 25 years of work along the 30-kilometer (18.64-mile) stretch of Belek beach and the adjacent 16-kilometer Manavgat Kızılot beach over the last three years. This collective effort has yielded a remarkable increase in nest numbers and hatchlings.
Ali Fuat Canbolat, President of EKAD from Hacettepe University, disclosed that the 2023 caretta season, commencing with the first nest formation in May, concluded in early October. Notably, Belek beach recorded a rise from 1,600 nests last year to 2,350 nests this year, marking a 32% increase. Similarly, Kızılot beach observed an escalation from 1,500 nests last year to 1,776 nests this year, indicating a 16% rise. Canbolat expressed, "83,000 baby sea turtles reached the sea at Belek beach, and 70,000 at Kızılot beach, totaling 153,000 hatchlings across both beaches."
These hatchlings, once grown, return to their nesting beaches after 20-25 years. A female caretta caretta typically lays around 100 ping-pong ball-sized eggs in a nest, with an average of 50% hatching. Alarming human-induced pressures on the beach environment endanger these hatchlings, with only two out of every thousand successfully reaching adulthood after making their way to the sea.
