photos by solvin zankiĀ of a nascent loggerhead sea turtle on turkeyās iztuzu beachĀ taking its first steps en route to its new home in the sea.Ā most eggs hatch in late september after five months of incubation, a period when this nesting site cum tourist beach is subject to restrictions.
sea turtles are one of the planetās oldest species, roaming the oceans for around one hundred million years. but the twenty first century has seen their numbers decline by up to seven percent a year, largely as a result of commercial fishing nets which ensnare the turtles as bycatch.
but loggerheads, already an endangered species, face an ongoing threat to theirĀ coveted nesting sites to beach developers looking to draw in tourists. conservations have fought for decades to keep iztuzu beach free from development, though the licence to run it has recently been sold to property developers who threaten to change that.Ā
