Natural Beauties of Mersin: Sand Lilies and Sea Turtles
Mersin, which has a coastline of 321 kilometers to the Mediterranean, attracts attention with its natural beauties and rich marine life. The protected beaches in this region play an important role as a breeding ground for both loggerhead caretta and green sea turtles. There are also sand lilies, an endemic species that grow naturally on these beaches.
Sand lilies, which begin to bloom in August, begin to decorate many parts of the coast in September. Kazanlı beach in Mersin’s central Akdeniz district and Alata Institute beach in Erdemli district are among the important spots where sea turtles lay their eggs. Sand lilies in these regions offer a dazzling view at sunrise.
While the penalty for plucking sand lilies and taking their bulbs abroad was 244 thousand 315 TL last year, it has increased to 387 thousand 141 TL this year. This increase contributes to raising awareness about the protection of nature.
Volunteers Support Baby Turtles
On the other hand, a group of volunteers working on Kazanlı beach started to help the hatchlings, who were going in the opposite direction due to artificial lights, as the sea turtles started to leave the nest. Yusuf Temiz, who works as a volunteer at the Mediterranean 3rd Eye Education and Youth Association, stated that Kazanlı beach hosts two different endangered turtle species and sand lily, an endemic plant that needs to be protected.
Pointing out that there are approximately 2 thousand nests on the Kazanlı coast, Temiz said, “We carry out all kinds of activities to raise environmental awareness. We carry out activities such as beach cleans, presentations and tree planting with our local volunteers and the participation of our volunteers from Europe. We organize night walks to protect the nests of arriving turtles. “We also deliver baby turtles to the sea when they go in the opposite direction due to artificial lights,” he said.
Emphasizing that there is a serious penalty for damaging sand lilies, Temiz said, “There is a fine of 387 thousand liras. We place warning signs at certain points to protect sand lilies. At the same time, we are working to raise awareness so that people do not harm these plants. Since Kazanlı beach is a public area, protecting the sand lilies can be challenging. “For this reason, we make warnings and distribute presentations and brochures,” he said.
Emphasizing that garbage should not be thrown into the streams at two points of the coast, Temiz stated that the garbage thrown with the currents reaches Kazanlı beach, which is the spawning area. He stated that everyone should fulfill their responsibilities for the protection of nature.
