Loggerhead sea turtle

Photo: B. Can Efe · © all rights reserved

Caretta caretta is the Mediterranean's only resident sea turtle at significant numbers, with the Greek island chain supporting foraging populations that feed on sponges, jellyfish, and encrusting invertebrates year-round. At Prasonisi the strong sponge community provides exceptional foraging, and individual turtles tagged by researchers from the Archelon NGO have been recorded returning to the same plateau across multiple seasons. The species nests on sandy beaches north of the cape from June to August, so the diving season overlaps with nesting activity — making Prasonisi one of the rare sites where you can observe adults below water and potentially witness hatchlings emerging after dark.