Family Traveler

PHO``````TO``````GRAPHS:``````GETTY``````,ALAM``````Y76VolunteeringatÇirali:helpx.netWatchavideoofturtleshatching:facebook.com/baskaciraliyokHotelAzur:Gardenlodgefrom£8 1pernight(i-escape.com/azur-hotel)ulupinarkoop.org;medasset.org;archelon.gr``````HOWTOBOOKThomasCookAirlinesfliesfromGatwicktoAntalyafrom£990returnforafamilyoffourfrom 24 August201 6.thomascookairlines.com``````TheMarineConservationSocietyandUKsustainable-tourismcharityTheTravelFoundationhaveproducedaneducationalcartoon,TurtlesinTrouble,whichdemonstrateshowsmallchangestoyourbehaviourwhileonholidaycanmakebigdifferencestothelivesofturtles:mcsuk.orgTHELOWDOWNandKemer.Everywherewego,peoplewelcomeourchildren–fromthelittlebakery,withitscushionedteahouseswhereweeatstickyvanillaandhazelnutcakes,tothebeachsidecaféwithitsribbon-strewntrees,wherewecooldownwithhomemadelemonade.Inthismellowatmosphere,it’seasyforaholidaytodriftbywithoutevennoticingthearea’sturtleconnection,butthatwouldbeashame.Çiralibeachisanimportantturtlenestingsite,oneofonly 20 suchbeachesinTurkey.Numbersofthisthreatenedspeciesaredwindling,totheextenttherearethoughttobeonly 400 greenand2, 000loggerheadfemalesbreedingeachyearintheentireMediterranean.Thebiggestthreatstotheirexistenceincludehabitatloss,nestpredation,incidentalcapturebyfishermenandclimatechange.ThenumbersofturtlesnestingonÇiraliBeachhasbeencloselymonitoredsince1994 .WhenIwasthereinSeptember,therehadbeenmorethan 100 turtlenestsovertheseason,thankslargelytotheeffortsofalocalvolunteeringorganisation- UlupinarConservationCo-op–animpressivegrassrootsconservationorganisationthatprotectsandmonitorsdifferencetoturtleconservation,theyalsomakeevangelistsofholidaymakerswhohavevisitedthem.WegotaglimpseofthisonourfinalmorninginÇirali.Encouragedbytalesfromsomeoftheotherfamiliesinthehotel,allofwhomhaddutifullyrisenbeforedawntogoturtle-spotting,andallbeenrewardedwiththesightofdozensofbabyturtles,wehiredabikeandsetouralarmfor5am,eventhoughweweretolditwasunlikelywe’dseeanyturtleshatching,asonlythreenestsremained.AsOsian,ourolderboy,andIarrivedatthebeachinthedark,wefoundthesmallteamofwardensfromtheUlupinarConservationCo-op,whobeckonedustofollowthemtothenests.Theyalsotoldustoswitchoffourtorches,soasnottodistractthehatchlings,whichusethelightofthehorizontonavigatetothesea,andcanbecomedisorientatedbytorchlight.Ateachnestsite,thewardenscratchedbelowthesurfacetoseeiftherewereanyhatchlingsemerging;unfortunately,noneappeared.Althoughitwasdisappointingnottoseethebabyturtles,itdidn’treallymattertoOsian:helovedtheexperienceofcyclingoutatdawntothebeach,andthemysteryandthrillofscratchingatthesandasthesunroseoverthesea.Aswepedalledbacktothehotel,Osiankeptgrinningandtellingme,‘It’snicebeingonholiday.’Whenthey’reasmemorableasthis,it’shardtodisagree.n``````INTO THEWOODSForesthikesareapopularactivityinthearea``````SAFEFROMHARMNestshaveprotectivepodsbuiltaroundthembyvolunteers``````THELONGWALKAbabyturtlemakesitsfirstjourneyacrossthesand``````RED SKYATNIGHTIt’sworthwatchingthesunsetovertheseaatÇirali,thoughyou’llhavetobeupearlytospythehatchlings``````thenests.Oneofitssmallteamofvolunteers,WilkefromGermany,explainedthattheorganisationissupportedbyaverylow-keyretailoperation–basically,astallbythebeachthatsellsafewlocallyproducedtextiles,jewelleryandhoney,whoseprofitsgotowardsmaintainingtheproject.SmallprojectslikethesearemakinganimportantimpactonturtleconservationinotherareasofTurkey.Turtleconservationisn’tjustlimitedtoscientists,volunteersandNGOs;hotelierswhosepropertiesareneartoturtle-nestingsitesareincreasinglyplayingtheirpart,too.Whatiscommontomanyoftheseprojectsisthattheynotonlymakeaturkey