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Few places on Earth match North Cyprus for viewing sea turtles in their natural habitat. Every summer female Green Turtles come ashore at night on the beaches of North Cyprus to dig pits in the sand and lay eggs. Some 50 days later the eggs hatch – the sight of hundreds or even thousands of baby turtles scrabbling across the sand towards the warm water of the Mediterranean Sea is one you are not likely to ever forget!

Alagadi Beach, which is a 30-minute drive from Kyrenia, is easily reached by car hire North Cyprus has other nesting beaches too – about 40 of them – where this spectacle takes place. The best time to view females nesting on the beaches is in the period from the end of June to the beginning of July. The eggs are laid in pits that the sea turtles dig, and are then covered over with a deep layer of sand. Nighttime viewing tours to watch the turtles come ashore to lay their eggs are arranged via the Marine Turtle Research Group and the Society for the Protection of Turtles in North Cyprus. Alagadi Beach and other turtle breeding beaches are restricted access areas at night during the egg laying and hatching season.

Egg hatching takes place mostly from the latter part of August and into early September, after the eggs have incubated under the warmth of the Mediterranean sun. Small turtles about 6-7cm long emerge from their sandy pits, and are instinctively drawn towards the sea. Hatching takes place both at night and during daylight hours.

The turtle project groups that monitor and protect the sites record all details of nesting and hatching activity. They are mostly volunteers who also clean-up the sites in readiness for the breeding season, and help maintain beach cleanliness through the summer. The beaches are open to the public in daylight hours, so often there is litter and other objects that need to be removed to prevent them from being a hazard to the turtle population.

For more details on watching Green Turtles in North Cyprus telephone 00 90 392 815 2496 or 00 90 392 815 5135.