On one hand, volunteers and local authorities in Sitia are working hard to protect the natural habitat and breeding grounds of the Caretta caretta and on the other, further along the coastline of Lasithi, dead turtles are being discovered in disturbing numbers…..
As an endangered species, and a fairly shy sea creature, we have been so lucky to see and enjoy watching the antics of the group of turtles, currently calling the Voulismeni Lake in Agios Nikolaos their home.
However, in Elounda, in an interview given to fonien.gr this week, a local resident told us that he has witnessed at least four dead turtles washed up on the beach in the last ten days, all with visible signs of abuse by a human hand.
The authorities have been notified but…..
And then yesterday, we were sent a photograph by Theodoros Antoniou, which showed the body of a dead turtle on the rocks near Ormos.
Of course these creatures have a natural life span and their death could be as a result of Nature’s own course, but is it perhaps too big a coincidence that there have been such a high number, found dead recently?