The journey of the Caretta Caretta hatchlings to emerge from their nests under the sand and meet the blue waters has been largely completed.
The “Sea Turtle Monitoring and Protection Project” prepared under the leadership of Hacettepe University Lecturer and Ecological Research Association (EKAD) President Dr. Ali Fuat Canbolat has also come to an end as part of the academics and volunteers’ watch on the 30-kilometer Belek and 26-kilometer Kızılot coasts. This year, 150 volunteers worked in the region under the EKAD. Among these volunteers were 30 foreigners from 15 countries. Walking for kilometers on the coast every day, the academics and volunteers identified 3,500 nests in Belek and 2,500 on the Kızılot coast.
The hatchlings hatched from their eggs and reached the blue waters after a difficult journey. The teams determined that 140 thousand hatchlings met the sea in Belek and 75 thousand in Kızılot.
“The hatching of hatchlings will continue until the end of this month”
Ali Fuat Canbolat said that 60 percent of the Caretta Caretta nests in Türkiye are on the beaches of Antalya.
Stating that they have been working regularly in Belek for 26 years and in Kızılot for 4 years, Canbolat said, “The nesting process of the adult individuals, which starts in May, continues until August. The hatching of hatchlings will continue until the end of this month.”
Reminding that a record was broken in Belek in 2021 with 3,850 nests, Canbolat gave the following information :
“We could not break the record in the number of nests this year, but we experienced an increase compared to last year. There were 3,150 nests on two beaches last year. We worked hard with 150 volunteers on two large beaches, totaling 56 kilometers, and ensured that more than 200 thousand sea turtles met the blue waters.”
1 or 2 out of 1000 hatchlings reach adulthood
EKAD Kızılot Region Project Manager Biologist Fatih Polat also expressed the happiness of helping a creature in danger of extinction.
Polat, who stated that they have raised awareness for the protection of Caretta Carettas in the region thanks to the education and information activities they have been carrying out for years, said, “We have experienced an increase in the number of nests this year due to both this awareness and the climate conditions. We will continue to protect the nests with the same discipline because only 1 or 2 out of 1000 hatchlings we bring to the sea reach adulthood. That hatchling comes to the same beach years later and nests. The protection of these nests and their hatchlings is very important for the future of Caretta Carettas.”
