Turtle spotting on Zakynthos

Sea turtle-watching activities were initiated as an alternative source of income to water sports for the local community in Laganas Bay in the mid-1990s. This is a popular activity for the tourists who can see the turtles by organised boat tours, by snorkelling, swimming, and from pedaloes, kayaks and private hired boats. Undeniably though, the viewing pressure to individuals is immense. Furthermore, as very often the set by law speed limit of 6 knots is very often violated, there is also strong evidence for a very high risk of trauma or mortality especially to resident individuals.

One of the main purposes of the Zakynthos Turtles project is to decrease this viewing pressure on the sea turtles of Zakynthos and help towards an adoption of a more turtle-friendly attitude in these activities.