About 3,600 nests of loggerhead turtles found in Turkiye Mediterranean province of Antalya

Hacettepe University Lecturer and President of Ecological Research Association (EKAD) Dr. Ali Fuat Canbolat and his team research the loggerhead sea turtle nesting areas in the Mediterranean region, Belek, Antalya, Turkiye on August 03, 2023. [Süleyman Elçin – Anadolu Agency]

About 3,600 nests of loggerhead turtles, also known as Caretta caretta, were found in Turkiye’s Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya, Anadolu Agency reports.

Some 2,000 of the nests were found in the Belek district and 1,600 others in the Kiziliot 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 Caretta carettas, 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.

They 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.

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