About 30 years ago an amazing lady called June Haimoff arrived on the Iztuzu beach in Dalyan, fell in love with it and took up residence in a beach hut. Her neighbours turned out to be Sea Turtles, Caretta Carettas. She became something of a naturalist, so when a developer started laying the foundations of an Hotel on the beach she realised the implications , bad ones, for the turtles. She chronicled her battle , against the odds, to stop the building and save the turtles nesting site, in her book ‘Kaptan June and the Dalyan turtles’.
From 1988, the beach has been protected , in 2008 it received the Sunday Times ‘Best Open Space , Europe’ award and , of the hotel, only the foundations remain . There is now though, a new building on those foundations . Completed just 2 weeks ago, the first Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Turkey was opened , on the very site where 25 years ago that holiday village was about to destroy the environment they had occupied for thousands of years.
I went with Kaptan June, now aged 85 but still a campaigner for the environment , to visit the centre and meet Associate Professor Dr. Yacup Kaska, from the Pamukkale University , in Denizli, who is in charge . Dr Yakup is a worthy successor to June and a man of action. Noticing my car was covered in sun- dried mulberries, he told me they could damage the paintwork and promptly took out a bucket of water and a cloth and cleaned it for me, whilst his assistant Fikret showed me round. It wasn’t surprising to learn that , with the support of the Dalyan Belediye, and the help of some local business, and tank makers Armaplast, the good doctor got the centre built in just two days.
I also met the first two patients. A 40 year old male was recovering in one tank and showed the scars of being badly beaten. He had taken a hooked fish and been impaled on the hook. The beating, leaving him with a damaged shell and head, was inflicted by some fishermen trying to get back the hook. He had been left for dead, but fortunately was found by some caring people and bought to the centre.
The other inmate was a 25yr old female now called Nazli. She was found with a hook in her flipper and fishing line wrapped tightly round her neck. You can see the awful scars it left. She is not quite an adult and soon to mate for the first time and lay her eggs on the beach where she herself was hatched. It is nice to think that she may well have started life when June was battling the developers, and has been doubly saved.
The centre will be open for visitors every day between 10.00am and 6.00pm. Dr Yakup told me that they want people to come and see the centre, meet the turtles and find out more about them . The aim is to spread awareness and understanding of these amazing creatures, as well as provide a close up experience of them. Children and dads will be thrilled by them , and for mums it will also be a great experience though I can’t promise that the dishy doctor will be on hand to wash every car.
To find out about the centre visit http://caretta.pamukkale.edu.tr or email Dr Yakup at caretta@pau.edu.tr . To get details of Kaptan Junes book, and find out about her environmental conservation foundation, email me at pennysail@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment