Some 1,400 turtle hatchlings reach sea at Antalya beach

ANTALYA – Demirören News Agency

Some 1,400 baby turtles have reached the sea this year so far at the Çıralı beach, which is an important nesting area for the endangered caretta caretta species.

The number of nests have regressed to 85 this year from the record level of 152 in 2018, according to Ulupınar neighborhood head Habip Altınkaya. But the average number of baby turtles in every nest is higher, he said.

“We opened two nests with tourists on the world-famous Çıralı beach today. With these, the number of the nests we have opened has reached 28. There have been 85 sea turtle nests on the beach this year so far. Some 65 and 54 baby sea turtles from each of the nests opened today have reached the sea,” said Altınkaya.

“Up to this day, some 1,400 baby sea turtles have reached the sea from the 28 opened nests,” he added.

The cooperative, founded by Ulupınar residents, have created a protection zone on the beach, warning the tourists to stay away after 10 p.m. to let the sea turtle hatchlings crawl into the sea.

Some 100,000 baby caretta carettas are expected to reach the sea from Turkey’s Mediterranean and southwestern beaches in 2019. However, a vast majority of them cannot survive, falling prey to fish.