Tourists in Platanias, Chania, spotted something deeply wrong at a local restaurant when they found baby sea turtles swimming in a decorative tank filled with freshwater.
The visitors photographed what they saw and contacted ARCHELON, prompting an immediate response from the organization’s Chania team.
According to ARCHELON, someone had placed the hatchlings in the tank alongside a freshwater turtle.
Members of the Chania Program went to the restaurant after receiving the report and removed the young sea turtles from the tank. They then safely released the hatchlings into the sea.
When Trying to Help Does the Opposite
ARCHELON described the incident as a clear example of how a lack of knowledge about wildlife can endanger the animals people are trying to protect.
Sea turtle hatchlings should not be removed from their natural environment, the organization stressed. They should not be picked up, placed in containers or tanks, or otherwise prevented from making their own way toward the sea.
Interfering with that journey can put their survival at serious risk.
For anyone who encounters hatchlings on the beach, the advice is simple: keep your distance and allow them to move toward the sea on their own.
That can be difficult when a tiny turtle appears to be struggling, but intervention is not automatically rescue. In many cases, the best thing people can do is leave the animal alone.
If a hatchling is clearly in danger or appears to require assistance, ARCHELON advises members of the public to contact its Rescue Network for instructions at 6941 511 511.
ARCHELON’s Reminder for Visitors to Crete
Crete’s beaches are important nesting grounds for the loggerhead sea turtle, and during the nesting and hatching season, visitors may encounter hatchlings making their way toward the water.
The temptation to pick one up can be strong. Don’t.
Watch from a distance, keep people and animals away from the hatchling, and let it follow its natural course unless an obvious emergency requires expert assistance.
A little knowledge can make the difference between helping wildlife and accidentally putting it in danger.
