Some 3,100 Caretta caretta hatchlings meet sea

ANTALYA / Demirören News Agency

Around 3,100 Caretta caretta have hatched and come out of nearly 100 nests in the Çırali beach of the Kemer district of the southern Antalya province and met the sea this year, said local officials and environmentalists on Sept. 21.

“The breeding season, which every year starts in May, has ended. We had about 7,000 eggs in 100 nests, of which around 3,100 healthy hatchlings have joined the sea,” said Habib Altınkaya, the muhtar (local head) of the Ulupınar neighborhood.

Altınkaya, who was at the opening ceremony of the last 100th nest, thanked the local security authorities for supporting the efforts of the environmentalists.

The volunteers opened the eggs cautiously and freed the healthy hatchlings to the sea as the tourists recorded the event and broadcast on their social media accounts.

“In the last nest, there were 66 eggs out of which 25 joined the sea,” said Altınkaya happily.

Timofey Kosacev, a 37-year-old Russian, was among the tourists who witnessed this emotional incident. “It was marvelous to see the hatchlings coming out of their nests and making their way to the sea.”

Çıralı Shore Protection Commission Director Erdal Elginöz remarked that the coronavirus had a positive impact on the hatchlings.

“Due to the outbreak, there were fewer tourists in Çıralı in summer. So, the Caretta caretta came from the sea and laid eggs to the beach easily,” Elginöz said.