Although expert opinion does differ, most would agree that the two main threats to the survival of Mediterranean sea turtles arise from human impact on their nesting beaches, and being accidentally caught by fishermen.

Trapped in a fishing net, turtles are unable to reach the surface to breathe and quickly drown. Tens of thousands are caught each year by indiscriminate fishing and of these, it is not known how many survive. In certain parts of the Mediterranean some turtles are still, although illegally, taken ashore destined for the cooking pot.

Often the very same beaches where each summer tourists delight in spending their hard earned and much deserved vacations, are the beaches where these charismatic reptiles need to come shore at night to lay their eggs in a 40 cm deep hole they dig in the sand. Many nesting beaches have already been destroyed by uncontrolled development, while other remain in imminent danger of development. After about two months of incubation, the hatchlings emerge from the nest and instinctively rush to the sea, which they see as a bright line on the horizon. They can easily be disorientated if there are bright lights shining on the beach, such as from bars, hotels, roads, etc.

Imagine 1000, 2000, 5000 or even more tourists sharing the beach where the eggs lie incubating beneath the surface of the warm sand, beach games, horse riding, vehicles, sand castle building, thousands of footsteps, spread towels, summer beach furniture, sand compacted becoming as hard as concrete, sand removed from the dunes and nesting beach for building purposes, pollution…

Sand compaction prevents turtle digging nests and hatchlings emerging from them, while shadows from towels and beach furniture and umbrellas on top of nests impacts on temperature, subsequently affecting the sex of hatchlings (cool is mostly males, warm mostly females). Beach furniture, umbrellas and other obstructions also prevent sea turtles from reaching the beach to nest.

Adding to all the above, natural predation of hatchlings by crabs, foxes, seabirds, fish etc it is small wonder that many females, rather than face the trauma of a trip ashore, abort their eggs in the sea where they rot on the sea floor.

Each turtles comes ashore to nest two to three times in summer. When resting on the surface of the water to recover their strength between exhaustive one or two hours nesting experiences, or when they surface to breathe, they run the gauntlet of the lethal speedboat propellers that maim and kill, and the buzzing of jet-skis.

Despite extensive research and publicity, and an increased public concern for their conservation, sea turtles, especially greens, remain under serious threat of extinction in the Mediterranean. Lack of enforcement of national and international laws and conventions and EC directives is largely due to ignorance and indifference of individuals, policy makers and authorities. Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) play an important role in sea turtle conservation in the Mediterranean through research, public awareness and environmental education. But without the politicians accepting a “political will” brought about by public pressure, turtle conservation will remain a distant dream, or a nightmare, according to the way you choose to view it.

Laganas Bay - summer 1995. Speedboat stopped and occupants are harassing a turtle resting on the surface.
Inset: same boat at full blast, ignoring the 6mph restriction.
Photos: Leanda Holt