Turtles' Revenge in Bodrum

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 16 August 2016)


'Cupping', nature's way.  They're really very nice pets.

Caretta caretta turtles have been attacking vacationers coming
in boats to Orak Island near Bodrum.  Just in the past three days
5 people, two of them children, have been hospitalized because
of wounds suffered in the turtle attacks.


Considering a caretta caretta for therapeutic pet.

Ahmet Yavuz Candan, from the Sea Turtles Research, Rescue
and Rehabilitation Center, explained that "these creatures live in
nature and we should characterize them as wild. But because
people feed them they have now have certain expectations. So
when they don't get what they want they attack."


"What? If humans feed me I get used to it."

Candan warned vacationers not to feed the turtles. Those who
suffered turtle attacks include a 10 year-old girl from Istanbul,
Hande Akgül and Nur Çiçek (32) from Bodrum.  Those victims
taken to hospitals were given tetanus shots.  Boat captain Yiğit
Çelik said that swimmers at Orak Island suffer turtle attacks
almost every day, adding that "every time we stop for a swim
someone starts screaming."


        Orak Island is at bottom right.