Ahmet Acar / Antalya, Aug 24 () - In Kaş district of Mediterranean resort town of Antalya, at one of the 22 most important caretta caretta nesting and reproduction grounds in the world, Patara Beach, baby sea turtles having hatched their eggs begin to head toward the sea.

The Patara Beach hosts a nesting ground along the 12-kilometer-long part of the 18-kilometer-long beach. The beach is closed to people between 20.00 p.m. and 08.00 a.m. Also, it is strictly forbidden to swim during night.

Within the cooperation of Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and Adnan Menderes University Biology Department has been undergoing a project to protect caretta caretta nests and wild animals in the region. Under the project, baby caretta carettas are being brought together with the blue Mediterranean Sea.

The ovulation and leaving of the nest process take place between May 15 and September 15. This year, some 196 nests have been protected with gratings, while around 70 percent leavings of nests are expected, depending on then nests’ distance to the shore.

Among 1000 baby turtles having reached the sea, only two of them could fully grow up, while the mother caretta do its first ovulation at the beach that it had set foot as baby.
 
Foreigner and domestic tourists keep flocking to the beach to witness this magical journey of baby caretta carettas.