This is a photo of a Loggerhead Turtle, spotted during a trip on the Dalyan River, South Western Turkey.

This area is famous as one of the few remaining places in the world that the Giant Loggerhead Turtle exists. Where the river meets the Mediterranean Sea is a beach, made famous by British conservationist David Bellamy, who successfully organised a petition to stop a hotel being built on the beach, which is a nesting ground for the turtles. These days access to the beach is not allowed at night, and even during the day there are restrictions on where you can sunbathe and place parasols into the sand.

Many tourists visit Turkey to view spectacular architecture, art and historic ruins, but the country also hosts a rich ecosystem of birds, mammals and reptiles, in addition to abundant plant life. The rugged eastern provinces still harbour large mammals such as bear, jackal, lynx and the Anatolian lynx. The miles and miles of coasts and rivers also offer abundant marine life. The government has also been actively involved in the protection of many species. They have implemented various measures of protection in Birecik where the bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) lays eggs. The population of bald ibis has been in decline and the species is in danger of extinction. The country has also identified several areas for the protection of two primary species of sea turtles. Chelonia mydas and Caretta caretta are the two sea turtle species which make their home on Turkish coasts. Chelonia mydas is generally found on a few beaches in the eastern Mediterranean (Kazanli, Akyatan, Samandagi); while Caretta caretta is commonly found on almost all the other beaches in the area. Akyatan is in the process of being designated as a Nature Preserve by the Turkish government. There are seventeen beaches on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast where sea turtle have been found to lay eggs. Among the more important of these are Dalyan, Patara, the Göksu delta, Belek, and Fethiye- Kekova, which have been designated as Special Environmental Protection Zones. Attention is also being paid to beaches other than those found the two designations. For instance, Kazanli and Kizilot areas have been discovered to contain a large number of nests and it would seem that these two beaches too will have to receive the status of protected zones. The attempts of the Environmental Ministry for the protection of these turtles have been useful not only for their actual protection but also because they have resulted in raising the environmental consciousness of the public. Egglaying areas of two important sea turtle species (Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas) have been put under strict protection. The soft-shelled turtle, which is also rather rare, is under protection in Köycegiz as well.