CARETTA CARETTA TURTLE

The Caretta Caretta turtle, which we see in Zakynthos, has been around for 80 million years. Each time the female turtle returns between June and August to lay her eggs she returns to the same beach where she was born.

She leaves the water during the night and pulls herself up to the dry part of the beach where she digs a hole. She lays up to 200 eggs in the hole and crawls back to the sea. Two months later the hatchlings crawl out of the sand and head down towards the water. Many will not survive. Only one per thousand will reach the reproductive age of about 30 years. Each time the female turtle returns between June and August to lay her eggs she returns to the same beach where she was born. She leaves the water during the night and pulls herself up to the dry part of the beach where she digs a hole. She lays up to 200 eggs in the hole and crawls back to the sea. Two months later the hatchlings crawl out of the sand and head down towards the water. Many will not survive. Only one per thousand will reach the reproductive age of about 30 years.