WILDLIFE SENSE

One of the organisations involved in the protection of Kefalonia’s Sea Turtles is Wildlife Sense (www.wildlifesense.com).  On a dull day in 2017, we had the immense privilege to be invited to help Wildlife Sense volunteers.  I can honestly say this was a one of the most amazing things I have every done.

Friends Shirley and Mike Ogden were to check nesting sites for the progress of hatching and in some cases help the baby turtles to start their journey to the sea.  They asked us along to observe.  But when you see four inch hatchlings trying to battle their way past a pretty strong swell (the sea was not being kind that day), what can you do?  Rees and I both got involved and were ferrying baby turtles down to the waves.  When the swell brought the babies back on to the beach …… oh yes!  We waded in and got the youngsters started on their amazing journey – if they survived of course.

Wildlife Sense’s publicity leaflet tells us that ‘Kefalonia is home to 2 of the 7 sea turtle species that exist in the world.  Loggerhead sea turtles, (aka Caretta caretta) nest and forage on Kefalonia’s coast.  Green sea turtles (Chetonia mydas) only forage here’.