by Burak Akinci
ANKARA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The number of loggerhead sea turtle nests on Türkiye's coast has increased due to protection and public awareness efforts, setting the stage for a hopeful hatching season for these at-risk creatures, experts said.
Loggerhead turtles, also known as Caretta caretta, are an endangered species that rely on Türkiye's western Mediterranean coast as a key nesting site.
Each year, the turtles come to the Alanya coast, a resort town located south of Antalya province, Türkiye's primary tourism hub, between April 1 and October 1 to lay their eggs. The eggs typically hatch in July, August and September, with the hatchlings making their way to the sea.
This year, there has been a significant increase in nesting activity compared to the previous year, Serefnur Kayhan, head of ALCED, an environmental association in Alanya, told Xinhua.
"We have recorded more than 500 Caretta nests in Alanya, and 200 of them have hatched. The remaining nests are likely to follow," this activist said.
Kayhan explained that female turtles usually return to the same beaches where they were born to lay their eggs. They come ashore at night, dig nests in the sand, and lay over a hundred eggs per nest.
After hatching, baby sea turtles come out at night to avoid predators and navigate their way to the ocean by following the moonlight reflected on the water.
However, over the past years, artificial light emanating from coastal bars and resorts have caused confusion among the hatchlings, leading them astray.
To address this issue, conservation teams have implemented a range of measures on multiple nesting beaches to minimize artificial light and assist hatchlings in finding their way to the sea.
Tourists, tourism professionals, and local residents are informed about sea turtle conservation guidelines in regions with Caretta caretta activity.
"Thankfully, because of the efforts from local and state authorities ... tourists are more conscious regarding the turtles, especially during spawning," Kayhan said.
Despite the increase in sea turtle nests this year, Ali Fuat Canbolat, president of the Ecological Research Association and scholar at Ankara's Hacettepe University, said that efforts to safeguard sea turtle habitats are still intensifying.
Animal conservationists are utilizing satellite transmitters to track sea turtles, collecting data on their feeding habits and migration routes. Numerous organizations along the Mediterranean coast are dedicated to conducting research, conservation initiatives, and offering medical care and rehabilitation services for ailing or wounded turtles.
These species are so fragile, and their habitats require long-term protection, Canbolat told Xinhua.
"Only two out of every thousand hatchlings survive to adulthood," he said. "When they reach maturity, they need to return to the beaches where they were born to lay their eggs." ■
