Preserving the Sea Turtles of North Cyprus
I am quite certain in saying that the sea turtles which frequents the North shores are as famous as the most famous Cypriots. Almost everyone knows that these sweet and charming creatures have been visiting the North Cypriot beaches for centuries. You can speak with any person from any walk of life, and s/he can easily tell you when the turtles nesting season is, which beaches they like to lay their eggs to and how they should be protected.
However, throughout many years of working experience in the fields, we have also come accross people who have complaints about these turtles. Mainly these compaints come from people who earn their living from the sea by fishing because turtles can tear apart the fishing nets. Nevertheless, this is not the case for Cyprus. Protection programmes for turtles are run on voluntary basis and the locals have adopted the turtles as a symbol for themselves to such an extend whereby some of the biggest firms in Cyprus, use sea turtles in their logos.
Sea turtles (Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the world's oceans with the exception of the Arctic Ocean, and some species travel between oceans. There are seven types of sea turtles: Kemp's Ridley, Flatback, Green, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead, Hawksbill and the Leatherback. Only two of them, Green and Loggerhead are found around Cyprus and females visit beaches for nesting.
Different species are distinguished by varying anatomical aspects: for instance, the prefrontal scales on the head, the number of and shape of scutes on the carapace, and the type of inframarginal scutes on the plastron.
The Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a large sea turtle. It grows to 1-1.5 m in length, and weighs an average of 200 kg, making it the largest of the hard-shelled turtles. The largest Green Sea Turtle ever recorded weighed 395 kg. Its distribution extends throughout tropical, subtropical and some warmer temperate waters. Females lay their eggs on traditional nesting beaches, but otherwise this species is entirely marine. The green sea turtle was so named because of the green color of its body fat. The adult turtle's algae diet is responsible for the color in its tissues. The young are dark brown or olive above, the limbs are margined with yellow. They are yellow beneath, with a large dark brown spot on the hand and foot. The carapace of adults is olive or brown, spotted or marbled with yellowish coloration.
The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) is a sea turtle and the only member of the genus Caretta. The genus name "Caretta" is a latinization of the French "caret", meaning turtle, tortoise, or sea turtle. It is characterized by a large head with blunt jaws. It is also identifiable by the five scutes along the middle of the carapace. Adults grow to an average weight of about 100 kg, and can reach 1m in length. The species feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, fish, and other marine animals, which they crush with their large and powerful jaw. As with other sea turtles, females return to lay their eggs on or near the same beach where they hatched. Unlike other sea turtles, courtship and mating usually do not take place near the nesting beach, but rather along the migration routes between feeding and breeding grounds.
In the mediterranean, Loggerheads mate from late March to early June. The female nesting season is at its peak in June and July, but this depends on the nesting beach. The clutch may vary from 100 to 126 eggs. Each egg is about the size and shape of a ping-pong ball. The average interval between nesting seasons is two to three years. Loggerheads live most of their life in openwater. They may spend time on the ocean floor. The shore waters are their main foraging habitat. Most loggerheads that reach adulthood live for longer than 30 years, and can often live past 50 years.
As a conclusion, we would like to remind the reader to follow the rules below in order to be able to protect these cute sweet creatures:
 Do not enter the nesting beaches between 20.00 - 08.00 hours during the breeding season (June - October)
Do not light fires on the beach
Block lights visible from the beach
Do not throw plastic bags, bottles and other trash into the sea
Do not dig the sand, poach eggs
Do not set up umbrellas on the nesting zone
Do not enter the nesting beach with vehicles and pets
Do not pick up, disturb or move young sea turtles
Do not use speed boats within 1 mile from the shore
Do not leave your belongings on the beach at night
   |
