Sea turtles of Cyprus
Project Xenios
Understand and Protect
Sea turtles in the Mediterranean
Sea turtles have been gliding through the oceans for millions of years, bearing witness to a time long gone. In the Mediterranean, these gentle giants inhabit the warm, solar waters and enrich the marine ecosystem with their unique presence.
Sea turtles are fascinating animals that play an important role in the marine ecosystem. Protecting them is our responsibility. By reducing the threats and working to preserve their habitats, we can help ensure that these wonderful creatures are preserved for future generations.
While there were once five species of sea turtles native to the Mediterranean, unfortunately only three remain today.
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Our missions
Database
In order to protect sea turtles, it is important to know them. That is why we maintain our own database of sea turtles off the coast of Protaras, Pernera and Ayia Napa. The data is uploaded to Wildbook's turtle database, where it is available to marine biologists worldwide.
CleanUp
Plastic waste, fishing lines and ghost nets are among the biggest threats to sea turtles. To counteract this problem, we carry out a clean-up every Friday afternoon. The garbage is then sorted and registered on PADI Aware. Here we also train other divers to become PADI Dive Against Debris divers.
Know how
You are an important part of sea turtle conservation. That's why we have designed our own courses and presentations to show you how you can best actively support the sea turtles and thus become an important voice for the oceans. It takes every single one of us.
The most important rules
Don't feed
Feeding sea turtles changes their natural behavior. For example, by feeding from a boat, sea turtles now associate engine noises with food, dive up and are caught by the boats.
Don't touch
Touching sea turtles or swimming after them produces enormous stress for the turtle. Pathogens that are harmful to humans and animals can also be exchanged.
Keep distance
Sea turtles need to breathe regularly. It is very important that they can do this in peace. Therefore, always keep at least 2 meters away from sea turtles at the surface.
Turtle spotted? Report your encounter
If you have spotted a sea turtle off the coast of Cyprus, your data is valuable to us. Upload your sighting to the database. You will need one or more photos of the turtle. Ideally, from the left and/or right side of the head. Fill in as many fields as possible in the form and select “Cyprus” for the location ID. We will then compare your sighting with the database. If you have any questions, please send us an email to info@os-xenios.com.
Register your encounter