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Caretta Caretta Loggerhead Sea Turtles Around Hydra

These magnificent sea creatures are an endangered species and happily protected by Greek as well as international law. They are the old men of the Greek sea having populated the Mediterranean for millions of years. They are air-breathing reptiles who spend their lives diving to eat sea plants, crustaceans and fish. They can often hold their breath for up to 30 minutes but all have to come up for air on a regular basis. Unlike their close land relations, the tortoise, the loggerhead sea turtle cannot retract its head and limbs into its shell. They use their front flippers to pull themselves through the water and their back flippers as rudders. The can potential live well into their 70's and around Hydra, can grow to almost a meter in length. Only the females leave the water to lay their eggs in burrows on the same beach that they (the mother) also hatched from.
Female coming on to the beach in Crete to lay her eggs.
On Hydra there are no suitable nesting beaches so we have no ‘Hydriot-born’ turtles. But occasionally, the sea around the island is visited by the expanding population from the Peloponnese coast where there are protected nesting beaches overseen by the Greek Archelon Organisation.
Caretta Caretta hatchlings making their way to the sea on Mykonos
Divers are more likely to come across sea turtles. Please contact the Hydra Divers for more information.
Resting Sea Turtle - image copyright Brian Gratwicke - Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
The biggest dangers to sea turtles when they are born is from predators such as gulls who pick off juveniles after they hatch (mainly at night time) as they make their way to the sea. Sadly it is thought that only 1 in 1000 successfully make this perilous journey. Once in the sea, there are very few natural predators for adult sea turtles except for us humans!

Discarded fish nets can trap sea turtles on the seabed preventing the turtle from being able to get to the surface to breathe. Eventually, in spite of being able to hold their breath for so long, a trapped turtle will drown.

Similarly, floating rubbish discarded in the sea (nets, ropes and plastic) can poison or entangle these gorgeous reptiles often causing them to lose limbs, cut their mouths, deform them and if badly entangled will eventually cause a turtle to die of exhaustion even if it could reach the surface.
Plastic in the sea around Hydra is a major life-threatening danger to sea turtles.
Damage from passing boats is also a hazard that sea turtles face every time they surface for air.

So if you are out on a boat, keep your eyes open for the wonderful Caretta Caretta so you don’t run it over by accident and please take your rubbish home with you to dispose of responsibly.
Rescued Caretta Caretta Loggerhead Sea Turtle on Hydra Island Greece. (10 October 2018). This sea turtle had been hurt by a bad blow to the head, probably by a collision with a boat. It was transported to the rescue centre for treatment.

Rescued Caretta Caretta Loggerhead Sea Turtle on Hydra Island Greece. (10 October 2018). This sea turtle had been hurt by a bad blow to the head.Originally it was thought to have collided with a boat, but sadly once it had been seen by the director of the rescue centre, it was recognised as a blow from a hammer. Sadly, despite all efforts, this sea turtle died of her wounds about 3 months later.

First Aid

If you find a sea turtle in distress (or dead) please phone the emergency number(s) so authorities can get help from one of the rescue centres. (If you are a sailor, you are more likely than landlubbers to come across a distressed turtle, so please read the  first aid notes to make sure you don’t make matters worse in your rescue attempts.) Do not keep a wounded turtle immersed in water, don't drag by its flippers or head (hold the shell above the head and tail then lift), place on a towel or piece of carpet (the lower side is very sensitive). Never put anything (including your fingers) inside a wound. Cover wounds with a damp cloth and don't try to pick or pull anything out. Turtles can be out of the water for 24 hours on beaches (egg laying for example) so do not keep pouring water over the animal (it's not a dolphin), especially not on the wound, as this will distress the turtle further. If in full sun, simply loosely cover the turtle with a damp towel especially the head. If it's the winter, cover the turtle with a blanket so it doesn't get cold. Talk quietly and try to keep crowds back to reduce stress. Don't put an injured turtle back into the sea. It will just die. Please call the emergency numbers below. Thank you.


Hydra Emergency Number: 199

International Emergency & Rescue: 112


1) Local Emergency/Fire Station: +(30) 22980 53199

2) Coastguard (Port Police): +(30) 22980 52279

3) ΑΡΧΕΛΩΝ Σύλλογος για την Προστασία της Θαλάσσιας Χελώνας.  ARCHELON Τhe Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece. ΑΡΧΕΛΩΝ Σύλλογος για την Προστασία της Θαλάσσιας Χελώνας, Σολωμού 57 104 32 Αθήνα

Tel/Fax: +(30) 210 5231 342 , e-mail: info@archelon.gr

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