The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most common sea turtle in the Mediterranean. Greece is its main breeding ground in the basin: about half of all Mediterranean nests are found on Greek beaches.
What it is like
An adult's shell can reach about a metre and it weighs on average around a hundred kilos. It breathes air but can stay underwater for a long time. It eats jellyfish, crabs, molluscs and sea urchins. It matures very late, at around 20-30 years, and females return to nest in the area where they hatched.
The life cycle
- Late May-AugustAt night females climb the beach, dig a hole and lay about a hundred eggs, then cover them and return to the sea.
- Several times a seasonEach female may lay two to five nests, a couple of weeks apart.
- After 50-60 daysThe eggs hatch; sand temperature decides the hatchlings' sex: warmer means more females.
- July-OctoberHatchlings emerge at night and race to the sea, guided by the brighter horizon.
- The first yearsYoung turtles live in the open sea; only a few in a thousand reach adulthood.
Where to see them
| Place | Notes |
|---|---|
| Zakynthos, Laganas Bay | The best-known area, protected by the National Marine Park since 1999 |
| Kyparissia Gulf, Peloponnese | One of the most important nesting beaches in the Mediterranean |
| Lakonikos Gulf, Peloponnese | Long, little-built beaches |
| Crete | Rethymno, Chania and Messara Bay |
| Kefalonia and Kos | Scattered nests |
Threats
Lights from hotels and roads confuse hatchlings, which head inland instead of to the sea. Umbrellas, sunbeds and vehicles on the sand crush nests. At sea turtles suffer from fishing nets, boat propellers and plastic, mistaken for jellyfish.
Volunteering
The Greek group ARCHELON, founded in 1983, patrols the main beaches every summer with hundreds of volunteers from around the world and runs a rescue centre for injured turtles at Glyfada, near Athens. You can volunteer for a few weeks or more.
See also nature in Greece.