Archelon Sea Turtle Programme in Corfu

We’re supporting Archelon’s first Sea Turtle Protection Programme in Corfu. Funded through the Ionian Environment Foundation, the programme focuses on monitoring and protecting loggerhead sea turtles and their habitats. With increased nesting activity recorded on the island’s south-east coast, the programme aims to ensure that these critical habitats are effectively safeguarded.

Archelon, active since 1983, combines scientific research with public engagement, and its long-term conservation projects in Zakynthos and Kyparissia Bay are among the longest-running of their kind globally.

Key Programme Activities

Monitoring Nesting Beaches: Trained volunteers and researchers patrol nesting beaches throughout the summer months to identify sea turtle tracks left from the previous night.

Nest Recording and Marking: Turtle nests are located, documented, and clearly marked to protect them from human disturbance.

Nest Protection: Special protective mesh screens are installed to prevent predation and accidental trampling.

Nest Excavation: Following the emergence of hatchlings, nest excavations are conducted to assess hatching success rates.

About Caretta caretta

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most common and widespread species of sea turtle in the Mediterranean. It is characterised by its large head an reddish-brown shell. Its diet consists mainly of crustaceans, molluscs, and jellyfish, contributing to the control of invasive species.

The Mediterranean population includes important nesting areas in Greece, Turkey, Libya, Cyprus, and Italy. Female turtles return every 2–3 years to the same beach to lay their eggs.

Like all sea turtles, the loggerhead faces increasing pressures on its nesting habitats due to the loss of beach space, which is threatened by coastal erosion and human activity.

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