Caretta caretta turtles hatch, thrilling beachgoers at Kiti

Caretta – Caretta turtles that hatched at the Parasolia beach of Kiti village in the Larnaca district, thrilled beachgoers as the baby turtles run to the water to start their lives.

Fisheries Department officials visited the site on Thursday where they located 26 nests. The department told CNA that the first batch of eggs were spotted on May 19 and the last on 30th of July.

The eggs started hatching on 24th June for a seven-week period. Officials uncover the nests after the seven weeks to see how many have hatched. Each loggerhead turtle can lay around 80 eggs in a single nest.

When the baby turtles emerge from their nests, they hurriedly move to the water to begin their life journey. They head to the water at night as it is the brightest point on the horizon. Artificial lighting can distract the turtles, making them go towards the fake light. For this reason, the fisheries department calls on people who live near the water where caretta-caretta hatch, to maintain low lighting around this period to help the baby loggerhead turtles reach the water which is their destination.

The Fisheries Department urges the public to take extra caution when visiting these beaches.

Each caretta carretta turtle can give birth to around 80 eggs.

In the last 43 years there has been an increase in the number of nests located for both caretta caretta and the Chelonia mydas breeds turtle as part of the LIFE Euroturtles programme which is funded by the EU LIFE Programme.