Caretta Caretta: Living with Zakynthos’ Sea Turtles
Zakynthos is, above all else, the island of the turtle. The loggerhead sea turtle — Caretta caretta — has nested on these southern beaches for longer than humans have been building towns on this island. Today, the bay of Laganas and its surrounding coast hosts the largest loggerhead sea turtle nesting concentration in the Mediterranean, protected by one of Greece’s most important marine conservation areas. This is what you need to know before you visit.
The Animal
The loggerhead (Caretta caretta) is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world, and the one you’re most likely to encounter in Zakynthos. Adults weigh between 80-180 kilograms and have a carapace (shell) length of 70-95 centimetres. They’re named for their disproportionately large head, which houses the powerful jaw muscles used to crush molluscs, crustaceans, and sea urchins.
Loggerheads are ancient animals — the species has been essentially unchanged for 110 million years. They reach sexual maturity at 20-30 years of age and can live to 70 or 80. A female will return to nest on the exact beach where she hatched — a phenomenon called natal homing — navigating by the earth’s magnetic field across thousands of kilometres of open ocean.
In Greek waters, an estimated 3,000-5,000 loggerheads remain. This sounds like a reasonable number until you understand that the species was classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and that number represents a significant recovery from the much lower populations of the 1980s and 90s — before conservation efforts in Zakynthos began in earnest.
The Nesting Cycle
June-July: Nesting season begins
Female turtles come ashore at night, typically between midnight and 3 AM. They drag themselves up the beach above the high tide line, excavate a nest chamber with their rear flippers, deposit 80-120 eggs (roughly the size of ping-pong balls), cover the nest, and return to the sea. The entire process takes 45-90 minutes. A single female may nest 3-4 times in a season, with 10-14 days between nesting events.
They do not nest every year — typically every 2-3 years.
August-September: Hatchlings emerge
After 45-60 days of incubation (temperature-dependent — warmer sand = faster development), the hatchlings emerge, typically at night. A nest contains around 100 eggs; perhaps 70-80 viable hatchlings. They navigate to the sea by orienting toward the brightest horizon — which in nature is the reflection of stars and moonlight on the water. Artificial light disorients them fatally.
The sprint from nest to sea is frantic and vulnerable. Predators — crabs, birds, fish — take many. Only roughly 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. The mathematics of sea turtle survival is brutal and why every nest matters.
The Nesting Beaches
Five main beaches in the Laganas Bay area fall within the NMPZ (National Marine Park of Zakynthos), established in 1999:
Sekania — The most important. Permanently closed to all visitors. Records the highest nesting density in the Mediterranean (700-1,000+ nests per season). Do not approach by boat.
Gerakas — Accessible to visitors, beach closes at sunset. Managed with strict rules. Among the most productive open-access nesting beaches. Excellent visitor education centre.
Dafni — Between Kalamaki and Gerakas. Accessible by day, closed at night. Good nesting numbers annually.
Kalamaki — In the heart of the tourist area. Beach rules strictly enforced by volunteer rangers. Partly managed to accommodate the proximity to the resort area.
Marathonisi — Small island in the bay, accessible only by boat. Nesting beach and protected.
The National Marine Park of Zakynthos (NMPZ)
Created in 1999 after years of conflict between tourism development interests and conservation science, the NMPZ covers 89 square kilometres of sea and 3.5 square kilometres of land. It divides the bay into zones with different restriction levels.
Key rules across all NMPZ beaches:
- No access after sunset during nesting season (June-August) on nesting beaches
- No flash photography at any time near nest areas or waterline at night
- No lights or fires on the beach at night
- Umbrella and sunbed rules: equipment must be removed from the beach by sunset; no installation below the vegetation line
- No vessels within 200 metres of designated nesting beaches
- No noise near the waterline at dawn and dusk
Violations are reportable to the park authority and carry fines.
Boat Tours: Seeing Turtles at Sea
The bay of Laganas supports a resident population of loggerheads feeding in the shallow waters. During the day, turtles surface regularly to breathe and can be observed from boats. Several licensed operators run turtle-watching boat tours from Laganas and Zakynthos Town harbour.
What to look for: Loggerheads surface every 4-7 minutes to breathe. You’ll see just the head briefly. They’re most active in morning hours.
How to behave on a boat tour:
- Do not swim toward a turtle or chase it
- Do not attempt to touch turtles
- Keep 20+ metres distance and let the animal approach if it chooses to
- No flash photography
Ethical operators will follow these guidelines automatically. If a tour operator encourages you to touch or crowd turtles, leave a review and report them to the NMPZ.
Getting Involved
ARCHELON — The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece
ARCHELON has monitored Zakynthos’ turtle population since the 1980s. They run volunteer programmes (1-6 weeks) on nesting beaches, nest monitoring, hatchling protection, and public education. Their presence on Gerakas and Dafni is what makes those beaches function as conservation sites while remaining accessible to visitors.
Website: archelon.gr Zakynthos information centre: Near the port in Zakynthos Town
What you can do:
- Follow all beach rules, always
- Donate to ARCHELON
- Report violations (lights, boats in restricted zones, disturbed nests)
- Don’t touch turtles or nests
- Choose accommodation away from nesting beaches at night — your room lights matter
When to See Turtles
By day, at sea: June-September. Join a licensed boat tour from Laganas or Zakynthos harbour. Morning tours are best.
Nesting adults: June-July, midnight-3 AM, on Gerakas (only with licensed guided night tours — unguided visits prohibited).
Hatchlings emerging: August-September, typically after 9 PM. Gerakas managed tours only.
The honest truth: Many people visit Zakynthos and never see a turtle. The sea is large and turtles are wild animals. The boat tours offer the best chance of a sighting. Don’t let the possibility of not seeing one diminish what these animals, and the people who protect them, represent.