On the second night of our gulet cruise along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, we anchored in a small, picturesque bay. The evening followed the familiar routine: a delicious meal, plentiful drinks, good company and a night sleeping on deck beneath the stars.
The next morning I woke before anyone else. To avoid disturbing the others I sat at the end of the gangplank, taking my first cigarette of the day and watching the calm sea.
Still half-asleep, I noticed a small rounded object repeatedly bobbing up and down in the water, appearing and disappearing as it slowly made its way toward the boat. I watched it closely and felt, oddly, that it was watching me too. A crew member brought a cup of coffee and, when I asked what it might be, he shrugged and said, “probably a loggerhead turtle.”
Hearing that woke me fully. I had read and heard much about the turtles along the Mediterranean coast, and the idea of seeing one in person thrilled me.
(I should apologize for the photo quality — my camera zoom wasn’t strong enough for detailed shots. Where I use others’ images, credit is noted underneath.)
(Picture Credit)
The loggerhead turtle, or Caretta caretta, is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a species at high risk of extinction. In Turkey, their plight drew international attention thanks to conservationists such as June Haimoff MBE, who helped protect key nesting sites like İztuzu Beach in Dalyan from development. There is also a rehabilitation centre for injured turtles, which are often hurt by boat propellers or fishing gear.
Two loggerheads swam close to our boat for a while, then drifted away as we prepared to continue our journey. I felt disappointed, but a crew member reassured me that there would be more opportunities in Simena.
I had been to Simena before without seeing any turtles, so I assumed my chances were slim. I could not have been more wrong. This time the turtles were everywhere, and excitement spread through the passengers. These wild reptiles can grow up to roughly 35 inches long and weigh as much as 35 kilograms when fully mature — a size that commands respect.
We continued to encounter loggerheads along the coastline until we reached Gökkaya. I wondered why I’d seen many on this trip but none on my previous visit. A friend suggested that turtles had been moving away from the Demre area after a new hotel was constructed there; turtles avoid bright lights and loud disturbances.
I couldn’t find comprehensive, up-to-date evidence online to confirm that specific migration, though there is an article from 2008 reporting concern when development was proposed on a known nesting area. Despite official allocations of some areas as nesting sites, development has at times proceeded nonetheless.
More recent reports indicate that beaches like İztuzu face ongoing pressures. While loggerheads appear to be adapting to some changes along the Turkish Mediterranean, it remains concerning that development continues to threaten their habitats.
Further reading: The Dekamer sea turtle rescue centre in Dalyan provides rehabilitation and conservation work for injured and nesting turtles.
