Patara awaits to be strolled, on the
Lycian part of Turkey, rests a beach of 18 kilometers where Caretta Carettas
("loggerhead" turtles) lay their eggs.
Every year, in spring, thousands of
female Caretta Carettas arrive at this "delivery beach" to secure
their genes beneath the sand. About two months later, hatchings leave their
incubation spot under the sand. They dig out their ways to the surface, preferably
at night, when darkness keeps them safe from predators, and crawl towards the
horizon, using the guidance of the moonlight and starlight reflected by the
water to reach the waves.
Their genders are determined by the
temperature. Eggs kept at a constant incubating temperature of 32°C become
females; at 28°C they become males!
The Caretta Carettas have been on
this planet assumbly for over 100 million years! Young Homo Sapiens versus old
Caretta Caretta. The oldest finding from the ancient city of Patara (until
2015) is a figurine from 3000 BC. Homo Sapiens record their own history for
some thousands of years, while Caretta Carettas lay eggs for millions of years;
they are indeed historical.
Homo Sapiens take showers or go
swimming if possible; male Caretta Carettas never get out of the water and
females do only to lay eggs.
Patara had once used to be home to
Homo Sapiens; Caretta Carettas never stopped using its beach to breed and to
kick-off their world tour there.
Caretta Carettas don't have democracy
and a parliament; some Homo Sapiens say they want democracy and parliaments
(among billions of other good things).
Homo Sapiens kill millions of their
own kind and heavily contribute in the extinction of any other species from
flies to elephants; Caretta Carettas are among them and don't fight back. They
look neither for democracy nor parliaments. They simply keep surviving all
cruelty by the Homo Sapiens.
Caretta Carettas eat whenever they
are hungry; they don't order in, take away or cook.
Caretta Carettas are extincting; Homo
Sapiens are overpopulating.
You can be one of the many volunteers
at Patara and witness the female Caretta Carettas laying their eggs in the
spring... This is a tremendous survival story and it's repeating its miracle
every year on a beach just a few steps away from the oldest parliament building
in the world.
