Antalya's Fear of Caretta Caretta! Professor Provides Reassuring Explanation

In Antalya, cases of turtle bites, which were experienced in previous years, have started occurring again. Some residents are afraid to swim, but reassurance came from Prof. Dr. Mehmet Gökoğlu of the Faculty of Fisheries at Akdeniz University. Gökoğlu stated, "Incidents generally happen in the evening. At that time, the sea becomes murky, and animals cannot distinguish humans in that murkiness. It's not deadly, so no one should be afraid."

In the tourism city of Antalya, as is the case every year, incidents of sea turtle (Caretta caretta) bites have resumed along the coast. In two separate incidents at various beaches in the city, two citizens were injured. Professor Dr. Mehmet Gökoğlu from the Faculty of Fisheries at Akdeniz University explained that sea turtle biting incidents stem from two reasons, with the first reported in the Lara-Belek region. Gökoğlu noted that such incidents in this region typically occur in the late afternoon due to strong winds causing shallower waters to become turbid, limiting the turtle's visibility and leading it to mistake white human skin for jellyfish.

"Our citizens should not walk around here in the evening"

Especially during this period when Caretta caretta emerge from the sea to nest on the shore and highlighting the emergence of eggs that have been laid early, Gökoğlu emphasized, "Especially in the evening, there should be a decrease in human density on the beaches. Our citizens should not walk around here in the evening. Hotels' lights should be turned off as much as possible. People who see Caretta caretta on the shore should never intervene. It will come out, dig the sand, and perform the nesting process in a suitable area."

"These incidents are a result of coexisting with nature"

He also reported that the other incident occurred due to turtles being accustomed to feeding by humans. According to Antalya Körfez Gazette journalist Ertuğrul Gün, he said that turtles accustomed to feeding approached humans when they saw them, and incidents occurred when they were not fed. Gökoğlu stated that these incidents are a consequence of living in harmony with nature, expressing concern that during the summer, all beaches become crowded with people, resulting in interference with the habitats of these animals. Gökoğlu also expressed dissatisfaction with humans being present even in caves on cliffs, pointing out that bite incidents could, in a sense, be a reaction to interference with their habitats.

"Time to reach sexual maturity is 25-30 years"

Gökoğlu pointed out that the Antalya coast is where sea turtles lay the most eggs. "The population here is good and dynamic. We don't know exact past numbers. Some Caretta caretta are migratory. They invariably return to the beach where they were born to lay eggs in the future. They reach sexual maturity in 25-30 years. They can live much longer than humans," he said.

"More often bites people with fair skin"

Gökoğlu also commented on the increasing incidents of bites in recent days, stating, "These incidents mostly occur where people intervene. In the Dalyan region and certain areas along our coast, people try to hand-feed sea turtles. They should not do this. When you do this, you disrupt the animal's natural feeding cycle. If they get used to getting food from humans, they may show aggression when food is not provided later on. Incidents generally occur in the evening hours. In the evening, the sea becomes murky and animals cannot distinguish humans in that murkiness. During this time, incidents of bites especially happen to people with fair skin. This is not lethal, so nobody should be afraid. Our citizens can comfortably swim in the sea," he stated.

"More biting incidents occur in shallower areas"

Especially on the beaches of Belek and Lara, Gökoğlu noted, "There are no such incidents in Çıralı. More bites occur in places where the sea is shallow and murky. When a person realizes it was a strong bite, the animal leaves." Gökoğlu stated that the presence of turtles is an indication of a clean environment and recommended that citizens comfortably swim in the sea.