40 Thousand Tubes Of Tempayan Turtle It Is Hoped That This Year's Sea Capai, The Nest Is Protected By The Government

Illustration of loggerhead turtle hatchlings. (Wikimedia Commons/Hila Shaked)

JAKARTA - The province of Muğla in southwest Turkey, the main breeding ground for loggerhead turtles, expects more than 40,000 hatchlings this year.

Known as Caretta's scientific name, they are among the species included in the Red List of threatened species International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Several beaches in Ortaca City and Fethiye District have become homes, for more than 600 nests this year, as the nesting season begins in May almost ends.

The nests are protected under a project carried out by the Directorate General of Natural Asset Protection of the Ministry of Environment.

Experts and volunteers from the Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER) are responsible for the welfare of nests and hatchlings.

They regularly check the hatchlings' nests that can't reach the sea. They save stranded baby turtles and keep them at the center for a day before releasing them into the sea.

DEKAMER project coordinator Professor Yakup Kaska said the laying and hatching season continued in the region, as thousands of baby turtles entered the wild.

"The number of nests in the Special Environmental Protection zone (SEPA) has exceeded 600. We have more than 450 nests on the coast of Dalyan Iztuzu. More than 100 nests in Fethiye and about 80 in the Sigerme area," he explained.

They protect nests, monitoring and study on these beaches.

"Thanks to this research, the number of nests has increased in recent years," said Kaska. To note, last year there were 42,000 hatchlings in 735 nesting locations.