Baby caretta carettas begin journey to Mediterranean in southern Turkey

Baby caretta carettas, or loggerhead turtles, enchanted visitors in the Kemer district of the southern resort province of Antalya when they hatched from their eggs and left their nests to meet the Mediterranean waters.

The baby caretta carettas at Ç?ral? beach in Kemer, which is known as a nesting area for this endangered species, started coming out of their nests early Aug. 10, which has caused excitement among tourists staying in the area. 

Even though the beach is a natural nesting area for caretta carettas, the species is under threat due to tourism facilities, campers and day-trip tourists on the beach and in the surrounding area. 

The Ulup?nar Environmental Protection, Development and Operation Cooperative, a local civil society organization working for environmental protection in the region, and other volunteers have been working to eliminate the threats faced by these endangered turtles for a long time. They try to keep the nesting areas free of people and other animals that tend to eat baby caretta carettas as their prey. 

Despite the efforts, visitors could not be prevented from approaching the baby caretta carettas, and watching and photographing them while they were trying to reach the sea after leaving their nests.

While some tourists, fresh-eyed, took pictures of this magical moment, some of them attempted to help the baby turtles reach the sea.