Swimming in turtle waters
For marine conservationists, there aren’t many experiences more magical than witnessing the hatching of baby turtles - an experience that many of our crews have had the honour of, though we wish it wasn’t necessary.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Travel Diary
Where: Zakynthos island, Ionian Sea, GreeceFrom deep, entrancing ultramarine hues to sunny, glittery shades of turquoise or tints of milky, pastel coastal blue, the azure colour palette you can witness and experience in the Greek seascapes, depending on where you are or what time of the day it is, is nothing short of wondrous. The formidable rainbow of blues is almost like hopping from island to island, each one offering a different variation.
This new adventure is taking us to the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea. I prefer its Greek name of Zakynthos to its Italian one of Zante, but there again it is like you have a choice of names as if it was a choice of shades. The blue island is well known to be an important nesting area for the Loggerhead sea turtles and unlike perhaps other Mediterranean islands, the likelihood of seeing them is very high.
“The blue island is well known to be an important nesting area for the Loggerhead sea turtle“
In fact, it is said the island is home to 80% of the Loggerhead sea turtle nesting in the whole Mediterranean. But they are listed as endangered and we are urged to take action before it is too late.
Being a huge wildlife lover, the perspective of seeing these survivors of the prehistoric age in their wild environment was a big pull for me and I kept it in my prayers to be able to see them during the trip. Little did I know then that my prayers would not only be fulfilled pretty quickly, but that they would also bring a lot of confusion and sadness and leave me with more questions than I had answers.
Amazingly, and by a happy coincidence (?), one of the main nesting beaches in Zakynthos faces an island called ‘turtle island’ – yes, truly – because it has the exact same shape as a turtle. I wouldn’t have seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it! See if you can find it in the photos. Nature can have a certain sense of humour. It was as if it was telling us we were literally in turtles’ kingdom and the queen of the queens was throning right in the middle of the sea for everyone to see.
I came to love this beach that I nicknamed turtle beach (of course). It was my favourite because it was a very long stretch of sand, perfect to walk along from end to end, feet in the sea water. On one half, this is where the turtle nests were dotted all over, protected by wooden cages. Luckily for us, it was the right period of time for the nests to hatch but we were told it would be very unlikely to see any as the baby turtles hatch during the night. Yet, I had this inner belief I would, a knowing that is not logical but comes from the heart.
“It was as if we were literally in turtles’ kingdom and the queen of the queens was throning right in the middle of the sea”
It is in this turtle paradise, when entering the translucent sea waters, that I had the most amazing sensation. Imagine to swim in the very place where hundreds if not thousands of baby turtles hatch and have one objective: racing towards the sea to have their first refreshing dip and only a few of them will make it and survive. The feeling of weightlessness and euphoria I experienced when swimming in these waters probably matched the blessing of those baby turtles who actually made it to the sea.
Now, no paradise is without its challenges… especially when human activity is concerned. The first time we saw a grown-up turtle in its habitat, we were on a boat… surrounded by other boats, and the best way to describe it is that it was like a safari when someone spots a giraffe or a lion and all cars rush to the same destination point. I will let you imagine what it looked like. It was more like a bad joke circus of boats trafficking than authentic wildlife discovery.
Boom! First shock, first disappointment, and first feeling of being guilty to participate into this masquerade.
It wouldn’t be the only time, far from it. I soon quickly discovered that on many beaches, including my precious turtle beach, there is little peace given to these animals or respect for their habitat. Priority is given to tourists and economic profit, even in places that should supposedly be protected. There is a weird vaudeville act taking place between the people who handle the beaches, the police and the tourists, except that, from a turtle standpoint, it is everything but comical.
And here I was myself on these beaches having full access to them and again being an active participant into something I ironically despised.
“There is this weird vaudeville act taking place, except that it is everything but comical”
I started to process this dilemma between being incredibly excited to see wildlife in its natural habitat while contributing to put negative pressure on it. For me it played like this in my mind… On one hand, experiencing wildlife directly creates an important emotional connection and makes me want to protect it even more. On the other hand, experiencing wildlife in these conditions contributes in endangering them. So, what is best to do, what is the solution?
The truth is, I had no idea and I would spend the next couple of years thinking and feeling guilty about it.
Since that trip, we have seen an acceleration of awareness and consciousness of the impact our human race and activity is having on the planet. I am an artist, not a scientist, but I believe both professions – as others – participate in creating knowledge, which I see as hugely important. One thing that has become increasingly obvious is that ignorance and remaining with our head in the sand is very dangerous. It is armed with knowledge that we can make more conscious decisions and own them for a better now and a better future.
The pandemic we all experienced since last year has opened the eyes of many people. Suddenly we could see with our own eyes how the stopping of some counterproductive human activities could have a positive impact on environments and wildlife thriving again. During that time, a bumper nesting season for sea turtles was reported as coronavirus restrictions kept humans and harmful waste off beaches.
Finally, it was a respite for them!
But what will happen [again] when restrictions are lifted? I can already feel the buzzing anticipation of so many people for traveling again, and I certainly don’t blame anyone. For me the solutions lie in treating our planet with care and respect and embed it from start to end in everything that we do, including travelling. As ironic and paradoxical as it can be, now is both the worst time our planet has been put under threat and the best time to do something about it.
“It is armed with knowledge that we can make more conscious decisions”
I did see a baby turtle hatching on my beloved turtle beach. It was like a gift at the very end of our trip. I was swimming in these magical turtle waters when suddenly I could see some agitation on the beach. The wonder of these cute little gems is indescribable, it is more like a rush of love and excitement in your entire being. I still remember the euphoria that was taking possession of me.
As I would witness this new tiny little life trying to cross the beach, being so vulnerable, I realised all the meaning of them being survivors. On top of all their already existing Herculean tasks they have to go through to ensure their survival, it is like we are adding another one to their journey, one that they cannot overcome on their own and will be fatal to them if we don’t act on it: unconscious human activity.