The 'Sea Turtle Rescue Center' in Glyfada is a small, though important, organisation that takes care of sea turtles, from all over Greece, that got injured or sick. This center was setup, in 1994, in co-operation of ARCHELON (https://www.archelon.gr/) and the municipality of Glyfada with the financial support of the Environmental Ministry. Its main functions are to receive, treat and rehabilitate the injured and sick sea turtles. Turtles that fully recover will be released back in to the wild.
Each year about 50 turtles are transferred here for medical care. As of June 2020, there are about 12 turtles here in Glyfada. In the picture below is a turtle named 'Chanel'. She is on the better hand right now, after entanglement in fishing gear, and will most probably be released in open sea again around September.
The operation and maintenance of the Rescue Center is totally based on volunteers. For that reason, there is a small shop where visitors can buy 'turtle souvenirs' to support the rescue center.
As mentioned above, the rescue center is part of ARCHELON which was established in 1983 and is the Greek Sea Turtle Protection Society to protect sea turtles and their habitats. Their activities bring us close to the environmental and societal issues. ARCHELON aims to contribute to find solutions for problems that constitute threats to sea turtles. Examples of such issues are:
- Tourism.
- Coastal management.
- Plastics.
- Fishing gear entanglements.
- Overrun by boats.
A guide here in the center will take you on a small tour and will show you about the life and problems the turtles face. The guide explains, in detail, where turtles lay their eggs, go for food and where they 'overwinter'.
As Sea turtles are protected by national, EU and international laws, some of the beaches in Greece (for example the National Marine Park of Zakynthos) are closed for public in order to protect the nests of the sea turtles. In co-operation with the coast guard, they assure that no tourists visit these beaches, no lights are turned on during the night and no boats will approach these waters.
The Sea Turtle Rescue center is, for sure, an interesting experience for children to become aware that the beaches do not only belong to us human beings but that they also belong to nature itself.
The message ARCHELON wants to bring is: WE CAN ALL LIVE TOGETHER.
QUICK DETAILS:
LOCATION : 37°51'50.0"N+23°44'30.0"E (37.8638889 23.73947273).
TYPE : POI.
FACILITIES :
- CHILD FRIENDLY.
- ACCESSIBLE BY CAR, TRAM & BICYCLE.
- PUBLIC AWARENESS.
- FREE OF ENTRANCE.
