Caretta Caretta (Sea Turtles)
Two (Caretta Caretta and Chelonia mydas) of the eight known species in the world lays eggs in the Mediterranean coasts of our country regularly. The adult males have longer tails than the female ones. Their reproduction periods are the months of May-August. The female which comes to the beach in the night returns to the sea without laying eggs if she is disturbed with anything. If she is not disturbed, then she comes to the beach and starts to dig a hole where she will lay eggs. She digs the hole with her rear feet and while one of her feet dig the hole she takes away the sand with her another foot. After digging the hole properly, she starts to lay her eggs either one by one or in groups. After she completes laying eggs, she uses the sands to cover the eggs again by means of her rear feet. After all of these processes, she returns to the sea. The incubation period of the Caretta Caretta turtles is about 60 (sixty) days, and the young animals that crack their eggs in the end of the incubation period remain without any action in the sand for about 26 hours period of time. After that, they start to climb to the surface by means of helping each others. The young animals that reach the surface reach the sea by means of following the horizon light in the night full moon. If there is any other light source in the surrounding, then the young animals may suppose this is the horizon light and lose their ways, and this leads to their deaths. Because of this reason, the İztuzu Beach is closed for people between the hours 20:00-08:00 in the reproduction periods of the mentioned Sea Turtles.
Very limited of the Caretta Caretta turtles that are encountered with a lot of dangers from taking out of the egg to reaching the sea can remain alive. The Caretta Caretta turtles, that have approximately 50-60 years of living period, come to İztuzu Beach again when they reach the adult ages after strolling around the open seas of the world and they mate in the same place for continuing the generation and lay eggs there.
You can share in the extraordinary livings of Caretta Carettas with the pleasure of Dalyan Hotel Palmyra.
