SHOTLIST


ANTALYA, TÜRKİYE (AUGUST 12, 2025) (ANADOLU – ACESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF CONSERVATION TEAM ON BEACH CONDUCTING SEARCH AND HELPING BABY CARETTA CARETTA SEA TURTLES

2. MAN DIGGING SAND

3. BABY TURTLES ON SAND

4. BABY TURTLES NEXT TO HOLE THAT IS BEING DUG BY MAN

5. BABY TURTLES ON SAND

6. TEAM MEMBERS STANDING NEXT TO HOLE IN SAND

7. BABY TURTLES ON SAND

8. VARIOUS CLOSE SHOTS OF BABY TURTLE HATCHING FROM EGG

9. VARIOUS CLOSE SHOTS OF BABY TURTLES CRAWLING ON BEACH

10. WAVES WASHING UP BABY TURTLE ON BEACH

11. VARIOUS CLOSE SHOTS OF BABY TURTLE CRAWLING TO WATER

12. TOP SHOT OF WAVES WASHING UP BABY TURTLE ON BEACH

ANTALYA, TÜRKİYE - AUGUST 12: Newly hatched loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) have started their critical first journey from nest to sea on the shores of Antalya’s Kizilot Beach, a vital nesting ground for the endangered species.

The hatchlings, emerging from nests carefully monitored by conservation teams, faced a challenging trek across the sand before reaching the safety of the Mediterranean waters.

Their struggle was captured on video on August 12, showcasing a natural ritual that has persisted for millions of years.

Under the Sea Turtle Monitoring and Conservation Project, led by Dr. Ali Fuat Canbolat of Hacettepe University and the Ecological Research Association (EKAD), teams of academics and volunteers conduct 24/7 surveillance to protect the turtles.

Every morning at 4:00 a.m., teams walk miles along the 16-kilometer Kizilot Beach in Manavgat district to locate and safeguard nests. Each identified nest is marked with labeled sticks, GPS-tracked, and surrounded by protective barriers and warning signs to prevent disturbances.

Since May, hatchlings from these guarded nests have been making their way to the sea—a journey fraught with natural and human-made obstacles.

Loggerhead sea turtles, weighing 300–400 pounds (136–181 kg) and feeding on marine life, are classified as endangered. They nest between May and October, laying around 100 eggs per nest before covering them with sand and returning to the sea.

However, their survival is threatened by habitat destruction, artificial nighttime lighting which disorients hatchlings, and human activities such as coastal development and pollution.

Reporting by Suleyman Elcin

Writing by Sibel Uygun