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| Turtle Priority |
I was particularly thrilled to learn that there were breeding Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) in our area of the south-western Peloponnese. I wondered if we would see any sign of these beautiful but endangered creatures.
Those of you who have followed my blogs may know by now that I always enjoy seeing unusual animal road signs (see below) - and although this sign referred to the beach and sand dunes, I have included it since it was in a car parking area!
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| Turtles allowed - and dogs on leads ... |
The turtles lay their eggs in the sand dunes and then when the young hatch, they make their way down to the sea under cover of darkness. The adults certainly chose some beautiful beaches for their nurseries.
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| Surprisingly strong waves |
I kept an eye open for any tell-tale signs, like shuffle marks in the sand. I stopped in my tracks for a moment when I saw the scaly object below ... but only for a moment!
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| False alarm! |
Turtles have a number of predators. Sometimes they get caught up in fishing nets. You can read about 'Rafael' (
here) and how he was rescued after a fishing net encounter.
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| Fishing net may be fun for cats, but can endanger turtles |
We kept a sharp eye out, but there were - apparently - no turtles to be seen. You can imagine my surprise when I arrived back in the UK and looked at the photo below. I can't be sure, but I think there may be something lurking in the water!
Archelon is a Greek-based organisation dedicated to the protection of Sea Turtles. The Peloponnese boasts about 900 turtle nests per year. Volunteers carry out patrols in key areas to ensure their protection. They try to raise public awareness through education initiatives such as slide shows. You can read more about these conservation measures
here.
For a wonderful blog post on the
Sea Turtle, do visit Vickie Henderson's Art blog
here.
A Couple of Unusual Animal Road Signs ...
