Tragedy on Alanya's Ulaş Beach: Dozens of Dead Baby Turtles Found
In Alanya, dozens of dead Caretta caretta hatchlings, unable to reach the sea after hatching, have been discovered.
Alanya, known for its beaches that serve as nesting grounds for Caretta caretta turtles, has seen the deaths of numerous hatchlings due to improper practices. The images from Ulaş Beach in Alanya prompt the question: "How well are we protecting nature?" The footage taken by İsmail İşli, one of the founding members of the Alanya Water Resources Protection Association, shows hatchlings that died without reaching the sea.
Describing the scene as a tragedy, İşli said: "I am one of the founding members of the Alanya Water Resources Protection Association. We used to do this work voluntarily before. As we protect the water resources in Alanya, we actually try to look from top to bottom, to learn and understand, because movement or pollution at the top naturally affects the lower parts as well. That’s why we encountered this incident by chance. Recently, we saw hatchlings on Alanya’s Ulaş Beach. We discovered them early in the morning. However, we encountered something strange. As far as we know, there are three areas in Alanya: Ulaş Beach, the Alanya Dinek Area, and Kestel. We think the Kestel area is very healthy and suitable because there are no problems there. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for Ulaş and Dinek. The scene we saw in Ulaş is particularly tragic. When Caretta caretta hatchlings emerge, they are supposed to head to the sea guided by moonlight and the glimmer of the water. However, due to lighting, commercial activity, road lighting, and similar factors, these hatchlings cannot perceive the sea as moonlight or water. We assume they head in the wrong direction as a result. While a few deaths are considered normal due to natural balance, here we see more than three to five deaths, and honestly, there are dozens of dead hatchlings. We placed them on the rocks to ensure people see this and learn from it. More attention, more monitoring, and urgent measures such as reducing lighting or taking other actions are necessary. We have experienced and seen this very well this year. Nature is disappearing. This is evident from the temperature, the current state of Alanya, the lack of rain, and agriculture. We have started to feel this very clearly. Therefore, we need to quickly come to our senses. Because if nature disappears, we will also disappear."
