Our commitment to the sea 

Since the beginning of 2020 we have observed a sharp increase in sea turtle sightings in Cyprus, around the holiday region of Ayia Napa and Protaras. Green sea turtles and loggerhead turtles have several nesting sites on the island. In the tourist areas, however, the turtles are exposed to many dangers. Unfortunately, we also had to make a sad discovery on one of our dives; a dead sea turtle entangled in fishing lines. For this reason, we want to actively do something to protect it.  

Project Xenios 

We founded the Xenios project for this purpose. Our goal is to protect and preserve the Mediterranean Sea around Cyprus and its marine life. We want to make the sea turtle feeding grounds around Cyprus safer. 

Sightings are recorded as well as additional information like what behaviours they were displaying, if there was human disturbance or if there where multiple turtles that interacted with each other. 

Gives an overview of where turtles are spending their time and what they are doing. Does it differ between divesites? Or between times of the day? 

How the identification works 

Scale pattern on the side of the head is like a fingerprint – individual for every turtle 

Creating a mask from the pattern allows for comparison  

Sometimes distinct characteristics make identification easier, like damage to the carapace for example 

What you can do 

Reporting sightings of turtles helps identify patterns in their whereabouts and behaviours. Even a sighting without a picture, where identification is not possible helps