Loggerhead sea turtle

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) is distributed throughout the Mediterranean Sea and uses the coasts of Cyprus both as a feeding area and as a nesting ground. In particular, the beaches along the eastern and western coasts of the island are among the most important nesting sites for the species in the eastern Mediterranean. Underwater, Loggerhead turtles are most commonly observed in coastal waters over sandy seabeds, seagrass meadows, and along rocky shorelines.

While the Green Sea Turtle is more frequently encountered in the shallow coastal waters around Protaras, Loggerhead Sea Turtles are comparatively more often observed in the regions of Larnaca, Limassol, and Paphos. There, they use both nearshore feeding grounds and offshore marine habitats.

A particularly notable local sighting can be made at the Zenobia wreck off Larnaca. A well-known turtle has been living around the wreck for many years and is regularly encountered by divers, making it one of the wreck’s most famous animal residents.

In the past, sea turtle sightings in the Protaras area, and especially at Green Bay, were much more common. In recent years, however, a decline in observations has become apparent. One significant contributing factor is the illegal feeding of sea turtles by tourist and excursion boats. As a result, the animals lose their natural wariness, spend more time near the surface, and are more likely to suffer injuries from boat propellers and vessel collisions.

This development is being documented through Project Xenios, a conservation initiative that records sea turtle sightings and identifies individual turtles based on the unique scale patterns on their heads.