Five hundred baby caretta-caretta turtles are estimated to have reached the sea, after the nest excavations carried out in Pachia ‘Ammos Stavrou Akrotiri, in 2024.

He made the data public the Stavros Environmental Protection Association and calls on the competent authorities for the protection of biodiversity and wild nature, to ensure the protection of the area.

In September, volunteers of the ARCHELON Association excavated a total of 3 nests on the eastern side of the beach, locating a total of 248 eggs, of which 187 hatched.

On October 17 and 18, another 8 nests were excavated by expert scientist Michalis Drettakis, of the Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Management of the Natural History Museum of Crete/University of Crete. According to data from Mr. Drettaki, for the valuable biodiversity of the Stavros area, many exits of Caretta-Caretta were certified and the existence of several nests with traces of mature females or chicks was confirmed.

The Natural History Museum analyzed the data, pointed out that Pachia Ammos beach during the breeding season of 2024 had a significant spawning density of Caretta-caretta. The existence of 13 nests was definitely established, 11 of which were excavated. Estimating the importance of Pachia Ammos for the species will require a time series of several years with sufficient data to be made. From this year’s data, it appears that at least five female Caretta-caretta individuals used the beach for their reproduction (from one to three times), a number characterized by the Natural History Museum of Crete as remarkable. The videotaped individuals appear to be small to medium in size and it is more likely that the population has quite young individuals, i.e. turtles that have just entered the breeding season which also corresponds to the relatively small average number of eggs from the excavated nests. So it is estimated that at least 500 baby turtles reached the sea safely.

As the scientists and the members of the Association at Stavros Akrotiri point out, it is the duty of all of us to ensure the protection of the area and the preservation of this emblematic species of wild nature, while the Museum of Natural History of Crete is expected to announce details about the importance of the beach of Pachia Ammos for flora, fauna and in general.