How You Can Help
As you’re planning your trip to Zakynthos, here is what you should keep in mind to ensure you don’t accidentally harm this endangered species:
On the Beaches
- Steer clear of beaches between sunset and 07:00 – those are times turtles like to nest! The turtle nesting beaches are closed to the public for the turtles’ protection, so please respect these rules.
- Avoid removing sand or wildflowers from beach areas.
- Avoid using beach umbrellas, as they can fatally injure turtle nests under the sand (not all nests are marked!).
- Do not touch hatchlings or interrupt their journey to the water
- Remove obstacles that turtles may face on the beach (cleaning up toys or filling holes).
In the Water
- Avoid turtle-spotting boats. These boats cause harm and stress to the turtles and use unethical practices to ensure encounters.
- Turtles can get injured by boat motors. You do not want to be the person who hits a sea turtle and injures or kills it! Sailboats and catamarans are safer options.
- Water sports (jet skis, paddle boats, etc.) can cause harm and disorient turtles returning to sea.
At Our Center
- Use our Sand Saver Shower Station! Wash all the sand off after a trip to the beach. This one-of-a-kind innovation allows us to return the sand to the beaches at the end of the season to slow erosion and retain the fluffy sand that turtles need to lay healthy nests.
- Avoid driving boats with motors, especially in Laganas Bay! This area is very busy during the summer with nesting adult turtles and hatchlings all using this space to travel around. We hear stories every day from people who rented a boat and accidentally hit a turtle with the motor and feel horrible. You do not want to ruin your holiday by accidentally injuring an endangered species!
- Avoid sea turtle spotting boats. The methods used to get the turtles to surface can disorient and harm them, sometimes leading them to drop their eggs in the ocean instead of nesting. Turtles are very shy, and these tours use unethical practices to ensure that their guests see them so they do not have to provide refunds.
- Sandy beaches can all be home to turtle nests! Avoid sandy beaches from mid-May through September. Instead, choose one of the beautiful coves or pebble beaches Zakynthos has to offer. Not every turtle nest on the island is marked. Visitors to the sandy beaches risk accidentally crushing turtle nests, interfering with hatchlings, and otherwise lowering the survival rate of the nests.
