Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), Greece

The loggerhead sea turtle is a threatened species, nesting over the broadest geographic area of any sea turtle, namely the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the world's largest hard-shelled sea turtle, with adults weighing between 80kg and 200kg and measuring 70cm to 95cm.
It is one of the most important sea turtles species in Greece, and Crete is one of the most important breeding places, as hundreds of turtles lay their eggs in the island's sandy beaches every year, between May and September. The female turtle lays 20 to 200 eggs which are buried in the sand; the eggs hatch two months later and the young turtles immediately head to the sea. There are a few places in Crete where you can go to see the turtles but with some luck, you'll see one while wandering around. The turtle in the photos was sighted in Agios Nikolaos lake.







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