On September 10 2017, a sea turtle of the protected species Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle) was found in distress at the port of Aegiali in Amorgos.
Dimitris Synodinos, the owner of the Amorgos Diving Center (https://www.facebook.com/amorgos.diving), along with his diving team, found the turtle looking exhausted and realized something was very wrong with the small creature.
The team immediately contacted the Association for the Protection of the Sea Turtle (Archelon Association) in Athens and were told that it would be necessary to transport the turtle to their facilities so that examination and treatment could begin.
Dimitris then spoke with the port authority of Amorgos who contacted our association, and a kind of human chain was created when we arranged for the boat, Highspeed 4 of Hellenic Seaways, to speed the turtle to the volunteers of Archelon that very same evening.
Both the port policemen in Amorgos and the crew of the Highspeed 4 did a tremendous job in bringing the turtle to safety. We would like to thank Dimitris Synodinos and the team of the Amorgos Diving Center as well as the port policemen of Amorgos and the entire crew of Highspeed 4 of Hellenic Seaways along with the team at Archelon.
The turtle was given the name Pavlos, and was treated for his injuries at the rescue center. We are thrilled to report he recovered well and on December 13, 2017 he was returned to the sea. See a video of his release here: www.facebook.com/amorgos.diving/videos/1690670217720716/
According to Archelon, every year about 300 dead or injured turtles are reported through the National Rescue Network. Most of them have been hit by fishermen who have found them in their nets or longlines and who unfortunately do not realize the consequences that this will have for marine life and fishing.
Learn more about the species Caretta caretta which is close to extinction and protected under the Greek law here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loggerhead_sea_turtle
Pavlos