Post by yenilira on Jan 20, 2012 1:19:16 GMT 1
Some of you who have been to Turkey, or had friends, relatives, go there, may have hear the phrase “Caretta, Caretta”, or even seen people wearing clothing with that wording on it, but wondered what it was all about.
So, what is this 'Caretta, Caretta' ?
They are an endangered species of Turtle which have existed for a good few million years, and are commonly called "Loggerhead" Sea Turtles due to their overly-large heads with a horny beak that is significantly thicker than in other sea turtles, and red-brown bony shell.
This species is the largest hard-shelled turtle in the world, belonging to the Cheloniidae family, which includes all sea turtles except the leatherback sea turtle.
The combined name Caretta caretta was first introduced in 1902 by Leonhard Stejneger.
Turkey holds the largest known number of Loggerhead Turtles in the Mediterranean, and one of the main sites is at the mouth of the Dalyan River, (Dalaman Çayı) - coming in at Dalaman, the Havalimani (Airport) for nearby resorts such as Fethiye, Ölü Deniz, Hisaronu, Marmaris, İçmeler, Turunç, etc.
This is at Ýztuzu Beach, reached only by Gulet (boat) trips (“Bootfahrt” !!) from Dalyan, (think 'African Queen') - or by car on a 15-mile winding road through the marshes to the river's estuary, a delta closed off by an immense sand bank, fresh water on one side, sea water on the other, with the only buildings there being wooden changing cabins, set well back from the water's edge.
Bathers can cross it but spreading out your beach towel or sticking a beach umbrella in the sand is forbidden, as are cats and dogs, and development in the area is strictly controlled.
A rehabilitation centre to cater for carettas wounded or damaged anywhere in Turkey - the Caretta Caretta Rehabilitation Centre - will be established here, jointly by the Special Environmental Preservation Organization, Pamukkale University, Directorship of Preservation of Nature and National Parks, and the Municipality of Dalyan.
During May to September the females come ashore to lay their eggs – more than 100 each – laboriously digging pits in the sand and depositing their eggs above the tide line, and since this only occurs at night, the beach is off-limits between 6pm and 9am.
Loggerhead sea turtles spend most of their lives in the open ocean and in shallow coastal waters. With the exception of the females' brief visits to construct nests and deposit eggs after dark, it is not very often one is seen in the daytime.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the delta has a slight incidence of mosquitoes and malaria and practically the only human inhabitants are the fishermen in their multicoloured boats catching blue crabs, bass, mullet and sea bream.
On 'bootfahrts' from Dalyan, however, it is also possible to see numerous schools of Freshwater Nile Turtle and Stripe-headed Terrapin, in addition to the various types of feathered vertebrate such as the Purple Heron, the Little Egret, and in the reeds bordering the lake, (Köyceğiz Gölü), plenty of Great Reed Warblers and Penduline Tit, the Black-headed Wagtail, Great Cormorant, White Stork, Yellow-legged Cull, Blackbird and Great Tit. Corn Buntings are present, together with Woodchat Shrike and groups of Masked Shrike.
In essence, a bird-watcher's paradise.
Sexual dimorphism of the loggerhead sea turtle is only apparent in adults: adult males have longer tails and claws than females. The carapace of males are wider and less domed than the females, and males typically have wider heads than females.
The sex of juveniles and sub-adults cannot be determined through external anatomy, but can be observed through dissection, and laparoscopy (an operation performed on the abdomen).
Loggerheads are now considered an endangered species, as they were once intensively hunted for their meat and eggs; consumption has decreased, however, due to worldwide legislation, such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the World Wildlife Federation and the Natural Life Protection Association (Doğal Hayatı Koruma Derneği), but despite this, turtle meat and eggs are still consumed in countries where regulations are not strictly enforced.
In Mexico, for example, turtle eggs are a common meal and locals claim the egg is an aphrodisiac.
Other sites in Turkey where the Caretta Caretta lay their eggs include:-
Çirali Beach, west of Antalya, which is partly protected, since it has been defined as one of the 17 most important sea turtle nesting sites in Turkey.
The Göksu Delta at Silifke, towards Mersin in the south-east, is another protected area, and the Anemurium of Anamur, approx. 130km to the south of Alanya, is next to the sea where the beach here also has protected status, allowing the Loggerhead to nest in peace.
Last year, a small number of eggs were left on the Aegean coast in Kuşadası after nearly 10 years of not visiting the spot. The area was taken under protection by national park officials due to the high number of tourists using the plaj.
Apart from its historical and cultural wealth, Patara, to the south-east of Fethiye, also has a unique and diverse landscape, including one of Turkey’s most beautiful beaches. Eighteen kilometres of sandy beaches and dunes makes a wonderful place to relax, especially when one considers that the beach and surrounding area, with its historical sites, have protected status.
From dusk to dawn the beach here is also the setting for the Caretta Caretta turtle which requires tranquillity and darkness to lay its eggs. For this reason there aren’t large groups of tourists here, nor any hotels or restaurants close to the beach.
~ ~ ~
The Caretta Caretta can grow up to 200kg, with a life-span of about 70 years, and only comes ashore to nest and lay their eggs. The baby turtles hatch after sixty days incubation in the warmth of the sun and make their way to the sea under cover of the night, guided by the moonlight reflecting on the surface of the water. Consequently nothing else that produces light is permitted on the beaches. The females also use this method to remember where they were born, returning twenty to thirty years later to nest in the exact same place.
www.kaptanjune.net/
So, what is this 'Caretta, Caretta' ?
They are an endangered species of Turtle which have existed for a good few million years, and are commonly called "Loggerhead" Sea Turtles due to their overly-large heads with a horny beak that is significantly thicker than in other sea turtles, and red-brown bony shell.
This species is the largest hard-shelled turtle in the world, belonging to the Cheloniidae family, which includes all sea turtles except the leatherback sea turtle.
The combined name Caretta caretta was first introduced in 1902 by Leonhard Stejneger.
Turkey holds the largest known number of Loggerhead Turtles in the Mediterranean, and one of the main sites is at the mouth of the Dalyan River, (Dalaman Çayı) - coming in at Dalaman, the Havalimani (Airport) for nearby resorts such as Fethiye, Ölü Deniz, Hisaronu, Marmaris, İçmeler, Turunç, etc.
This is at Ýztuzu Beach, reached only by Gulet (boat) trips (“Bootfahrt” !!) from Dalyan, (think 'African Queen') - or by car on a 15-mile winding road through the marshes to the river's estuary, a delta closed off by an immense sand bank, fresh water on one side, sea water on the other, with the only buildings there being wooden changing cabins, set well back from the water's edge.
Bathers can cross it but spreading out your beach towel or sticking a beach umbrella in the sand is forbidden, as are cats and dogs, and development in the area is strictly controlled.
A rehabilitation centre to cater for carettas wounded or damaged anywhere in Turkey - the Caretta Caretta Rehabilitation Centre - will be established here, jointly by the Special Environmental Preservation Organization, Pamukkale University, Directorship of Preservation of Nature and National Parks, and the Municipality of Dalyan.
During May to September the females come ashore to lay their eggs – more than 100 each – laboriously digging pits in the sand and depositing their eggs above the tide line, and since this only occurs at night, the beach is off-limits between 6pm and 9am.
Loggerhead sea turtles spend most of their lives in the open ocean and in shallow coastal waters. With the exception of the females' brief visits to construct nests and deposit eggs after dark, it is not very often one is seen in the daytime.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the delta has a slight incidence of mosquitoes and malaria and practically the only human inhabitants are the fishermen in their multicoloured boats catching blue crabs, bass, mullet and sea bream.
On 'bootfahrts' from Dalyan, however, it is also possible to see numerous schools of Freshwater Nile Turtle and Stripe-headed Terrapin, in addition to the various types of feathered vertebrate such as the Purple Heron, the Little Egret, and in the reeds bordering the lake, (Köyceğiz Gölü), plenty of Great Reed Warblers and Penduline Tit, the Black-headed Wagtail, Great Cormorant, White Stork, Yellow-legged Cull, Blackbird and Great Tit. Corn Buntings are present, together with Woodchat Shrike and groups of Masked Shrike.
In essence, a bird-watcher's paradise.
Sexual dimorphism of the loggerhead sea turtle is only apparent in adults: adult males have longer tails and claws than females. The carapace of males are wider and less domed than the females, and males typically have wider heads than females.
The sex of juveniles and sub-adults cannot be determined through external anatomy, but can be observed through dissection, and laparoscopy (an operation performed on the abdomen).
Loggerheads are now considered an endangered species, as they were once intensively hunted for their meat and eggs; consumption has decreased, however, due to worldwide legislation, such as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the World Wildlife Federation and the Natural Life Protection Association (Doğal Hayatı Koruma Derneği), but despite this, turtle meat and eggs are still consumed in countries where regulations are not strictly enforced.
In Mexico, for example, turtle eggs are a common meal and locals claim the egg is an aphrodisiac.
Other sites in Turkey where the Caretta Caretta lay their eggs include:-
Çirali Beach, west of Antalya, which is partly protected, since it has been defined as one of the 17 most important sea turtle nesting sites in Turkey.
The Göksu Delta at Silifke, towards Mersin in the south-east, is another protected area, and the Anemurium of Anamur, approx. 130km to the south of Alanya, is next to the sea where the beach here also has protected status, allowing the Loggerhead to nest in peace.
Last year, a small number of eggs were left on the Aegean coast in Kuşadası after nearly 10 years of not visiting the spot. The area was taken under protection by national park officials due to the high number of tourists using the plaj.
Apart from its historical and cultural wealth, Patara, to the south-east of Fethiye, also has a unique and diverse landscape, including one of Turkey’s most beautiful beaches. Eighteen kilometres of sandy beaches and dunes makes a wonderful place to relax, especially when one considers that the beach and surrounding area, with its historical sites, have protected status.
From dusk to dawn the beach here is also the setting for the Caretta Caretta turtle which requires tranquillity and darkness to lay its eggs. For this reason there aren’t large groups of tourists here, nor any hotels or restaurants close to the beach.
~ ~ ~
The Caretta Caretta can grow up to 200kg, with a life-span of about 70 years, and only comes ashore to nest and lay their eggs. The baby turtles hatch after sixty days incubation in the warmth of the sun and make their way to the sea under cover of the night, guided by the moonlight reflecting on the surface of the water. Consequently nothing else that produces light is permitted on the beaches. The females also use this method to remember where they were born, returning twenty to thirty years later to nest in the exact same place.
www.kaptanjune.net/