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A total of 62 loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchlings made their way to the sea in the Bodrum district of Mugla after emerging from their eggs.
Following the hatching of six baby sea turtles the previous day at Kargi Bay in the Ortakent neighborhood, officials from the Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (DEKAMER) arrived at the site in the morning to conduct an inspection.
During work carried out at and around the nest, teams ensured that six more hatchlings safely reached the sea.
Loggerhead sea turtles typically lay their eggs on sandy beaches in late spring or early summer, after which the eggs incubate underground for around two months before hatching.
Once hatchlings emerge from their shells, they instinctively make their way toward the sea, guided primarily by natural light reflecting off the water. Conservation teams often monitor nests closely during this period, since hatchlings are highly vulnerable to predators, extreme heat, and artificial lighting that can disorient them away from the shoreline.
Field surveys and measurements determined that a total of 62 loggerhead hatchlings from the nest had reached the sea. Fieldwork was completed after it was confirmed that no hatchlings remained in the nest or on the beach.
DEKAMER Camp Coordinator Atakan Serin told reporters that the mother loggerhead turtle had nested in the area approximately two months earlier.
Serin said the team had come to the site after receiving a report and had located the nest. He thanked residents of Bodrum and the Bodrum Municipality for protecting the area around the nest, and said teams had measured the nest's distance from the sea as well as its dry and wet diameter, counted the eggs, and then closed the nest.
After the work was completed, the nest site in the area was inspected once more by the teams.
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