Caretta caretta turtles—known elsewhere as loggerheads—nest on Marathonisi Islet, just off the southern coast of Zákinthos. Adult turtles can reach 120 centimeters (four feet) in length and weigh 135 kilos (300 pounds); they use their powerful jaws to crack open the shells of whelks and conches. Marathonisi is overseen by Greece’s first national marine park, established in 1999 to protect the habitat of two endangered creatures here in Laganas Bay: the Caretta caretta turtles and monk seals. Learn more about the turtles at the marine park’s exhibition center near Dafni Beach before heading off on a walking path or snorkeling route.
Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta underwater, species endangered globally, but can be observe in the Mediterranean Sea both close to and remote from nesting sites, Kythira Sea, Greece. RM
Alexandros Frantzis/© Alexandros Frantzis
