Our destination of holiday this year is the Greek Island of Zakynthos also known as Zante. It's famous for the Loggerhead turtles. Around 18yrs ago we came here and went on boat trips to see them out in the sea. Very cool. This time I wanted to find the well known beach of Gerakas where turtles come up a shore to dig nests. Also in this area are the only tortoises on the island which I believe are hermanns, guess what, I've not found one yet. This whole area is a national marine park, so the turtles and nesting sites are monitored very closely and are protected. This year up to now there are 75 nests on Gerakas beach with 3 developing hatchlings for now. Turtles come ashore at night and hatchlings rise to the surface late in the evening until early morning when the sun is down. Apparently each turtle lays up to 120 eggs 50 to 60cm deep. Each nest has 2 or 3 sessions of hatchling rising to the surface, the lowest eggs in the nest take longer to hatch because it's cooler lower down. I'm assuming this gives chance of both sexes within the same clutch.
To my suprise the beach is open to public bathers until 7pm. Every morning the turtle researches go down at dawn to follow any new tracks to new nest sites. To assure there is actually a nest they dig down until eggs are felt then covered back up, a small cage is put over the nest and dated. Apparently 2 to 3 months is the time for incubation.
Not much to see really other than the nest sites, I enjoyed talking to the research guys. But I must say a bit peed off this beach can be used for sun worshipping, there are plenty of beaches on the island and everyone of them is like a scene from paradise.
On top of this there is a turtle sanctuary here, it's nothing to do with the guys who reasearch the loggerhead turtles. I Wasn't impressed with this sanctuary really, they have some wild caught Greeks that have produced hatchlings in captivity. Absolutely no water is provided and they are adiment that these tortoise get all their hydration requirements from the diet.
They had some cool skeletons of loggerhead and tortoises. Although the baby tortoise skeleton looks to be captive bred because of the rear split vertibral scute. Maybe it's because it was kept too dry. I fear for the babies they have now.
Few photos I took that someone maybe interested in.
Fifth one is the gerakas beach showing sun worshippers right next to the nest sights.
Then the rest are from in the sanctuary.
I'm a bit confused whether these sanctuary tortoises are hermanns or Greeks. I was told hermanns exist on the island but the 2 wild caught adults in this sanctuary are referred to as Greeks, and the guy said these are wc from this island. They plan on releasing the babies back into the wild at 2 yrs old.
Sorry if some photos are duplicated I have a new phone that I'm still trying to get familiar with.
To my suprise the beach is open to public bathers until 7pm. Every morning the turtle researches go down at dawn to follow any new tracks to new nest sites. To assure there is actually a nest they dig down until eggs are felt then covered back up, a small cage is put over the nest and dated. Apparently 2 to 3 months is the time for incubation.
Not much to see really other than the nest sites, I enjoyed talking to the research guys. But I must say a bit peed off this beach can be used for sun worshipping, there are plenty of beaches on the island and everyone of them is like a scene from paradise.
On top of this there is a turtle sanctuary here, it's nothing to do with the guys who reasearch the loggerhead turtles. I Wasn't impressed with this sanctuary really, they have some wild caught Greeks that have produced hatchlings in captivity. Absolutely no water is provided and they are adiment that these tortoise get all their hydration requirements from the diet.
They had some cool skeletons of loggerhead and tortoises. Although the baby tortoise skeleton looks to be captive bred because of the rear split vertibral scute. Maybe it's because it was kept too dry. I fear for the babies they have now.
Few photos I took that someone maybe interested in.
Fifth one is the gerakas beach showing sun worshippers right next to the nest sights.
Then the rest are from in the sanctuary.
I'm a bit confused whether these sanctuary tortoises are hermanns or Greeks. I was told hermanns exist on the island but the 2 wild caught adults in this sanctuary are referred to as Greeks, and the guy said these are wc from this island. They plan on releasing the babies back into the wild at 2 yrs old.
Sorry if some photos are duplicated I have a new phone that I'm still trying to get familiar with.
