Surprise Encounter at Alanya's Red Tower: They Swam with a Giant Caretta Caretta for 1.5 Hours!

An interesting event occurred in front of Alanya’s landmark, the Red Tower, early in the morning.

Mehmet Ali Tayyar planned to dive in front of the Red Tower early in the morning, anchoring his boat there. When he and Recep Türkmen, the technical director of a large hotel in Konaklı, entered the water, they encountered an unexpected guest:

A giant caretta caretta turtle missing its left front flipper!

Initially, the duo experienced moments of fear, but they quickly became accustomed to the giant sea turtle. Tayyar and Türkmen swam with the caretta caretta for about 1.5 hours, experiencing an unforgettable adventure. Recep Türkmen’s fear during this unexpected encounter was also captured in videos taken at the time. Tayyar shared the experience on social media, humorously saying, “At first, we were very scared, but once we got used to it, we swam with it for 1.5 hours. Recep Türkmen aged a bit from fear.” The calm demeanor of the caretta caretta allowed the duo to have a memorable dive filled with unique experiences.