Killer Turtles Stalk Bodrum Tourists

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 14 August 2017)


                 "Go ahead, make my day."

The bays around Orak Island 12 miles from Bodrum city are
popular with tourists on boat trips around the peninsula.  But
over the past year the number of people attacked by 'caretta
caretta' turtles has moved officials to action.  Famed diver and
underwater archeologist Aşkın Cambazoğlu noted that he and
his team dove near Orak and Kara Island and saw the turtles but
didn't panic so they were not attacked.

Cambazoğlu explained that in the summer when tourists visit
the caretta's swimming areas they feed the animals. Consequently,
"when the turtles see white meat (!) they think it's food.  Since
they don't have teeth they can't bite but their jaws are quite
powerful. When you see one you mustn't panic.  And don't feed
them either."

Captain Arif Yılmaz of Bodrum said that the caretta caretta are
all around Bodrum and he evaluated the increased attacks this way:
"the attacks are the result of humans upsetting the natural balance.
We're urgently telling officials to put up signs in English,Turkish
and German telling people not to feed the animals."