Saving A Sea Turtle In Crete
- by XpatAthens
- Monday, 18 February 2019
A sea turtle entangled in fish net on a Cretan beach was rescued by a couple of by passers earlier this month. The rare loggerhead turtle (also known as Caretta-Caretta) was found on Lendas beach near Heraklion trapped by a fish net, and unable to move. Luckily the couple carefully disentangled the turtle and carefully cut way the nets and a few minutes later the animal was set free. The video of the heart-wrenching rescue has become viral.
According to WWF, fishing gear is the greatest threat to sea turtles as hundreds of thousands of turtles are accidentally caught by longline hooks, shrimp trawl nets and gillnets each year. Leatherbacks, green turtles and the endangered loggerhead species are particularly vulnerable.
Loggerheads are the only sea turtles that nest in Greece and the Mediterranean; they can be recognized by their large heads, yellow-brown skin, and reddish-brown shells and are considered to be one of the oldest species in the world. Greece is the most popular nesting site along the Mediterranean, with more than 3,000 nests per year.
Article Source: Greek Reporter