You
can take brilliant day trips while on holiday in Zante at really
affordable prices. There are a number of organized boat trips, to
spectacular locations such as the the Keri caves, the Blue Caves,
Shipwreck Beach and Marathonisi Island. You will be amazed by the
natural beauty here in Zante and the crystal clear waters of the
Ionian Sea.
Coach tours, jeep safaris, and a number of other excursions
operate daily around Zakynthos island so you can make the most of
all the island has to offer. Alternatively, you can also hire a car
or bike in Zante and explore Zakynthos at your own pace!
Being the main nesting ground in the Mediterranean for the Caretta
Caretta turtles has many benefits and attracts many visitors to the
island of Zante. However, it also brings certain responsibilities;
mainly to ensure that tourism and human development does not infringe on
the habits and habitat of this endangered species of sea turtles. The
National Marine Park of Zakynthos works throughout the year to safeguard
the nesting ground of the turtles in Zante.
During your holiday in Zante, especially on the South and South-West
coast, you are bound to come in contact with the National Marine Park
who monitor and protect these beaches. We have put together some more
information about this important Greek organization.
The National Marine Park of Zakynthos (N.M.P.Z.) was established in
December 1999, the first of its kind in Greece. Since then they have
helped to set an example for other regions in Greece that require
integrated management of the environment.
The objectives of the National Marine Park include the preservation
of the natural environment of Zakynthos, while conserving the ecological
balance of the marine and coastal regions of the Bay of Laganas and the
Strophadia Islands.
Their main interaction with tourists comes in the form of beach
stations, located on all of the main beaches in the Bay of Laganas,
where the Caretta Caretta loggerhead sea turtles like to nest. National
Marine Park workers at these stations aim to kindly inform tourists
about the turtles to encourage minimal negative impact on their habitat.
The National Marine Park, located on the Southern Coast of Zakynthos,
encompasses the Marine area of Laganas Bay, including the beaches and a
stretch of land adjoining them. It also includes the two small islands
of Strophadia, which are 50 miles south of Zakynthos.
The region of the National Marine Park in Zakynthos provides the most
important nesting rookery in the Mediterranean for the endangered
species of loggerhead sea turtles, known as the Caretta Caretta. Also
present in the region is the critically endangered species of Monachus
monachus, which is known as monk seal.
What the visitor should know!
The boundaries within the region of the National Marine Park include
definite zones. Certain activities are permitted within these zones –
others are strictly prohibited. On Sekania Beach and Pelouzo Island all
visitors are prohibited from entering. These are kept as sacred nesting
grounds for the turtles, totally undisturbed by humans, and are known as
an ‘Area of Absolute Protection’.
On the beaches in the Bay of Laganas that are open to tourists there
are some restrictions on activities. These beaches are known as ‘Nature
Protection Areas’. The main restrictions are:
• Public access to nesting beaches only from sunrise to sunset
• The use of sun umbrellas, more than three to five meters above the
waterline as they may disturb eggs within the turtle nests
• Digging on beaches where turtle nests are located, or disturbing the
blue cage markers that are laid out to mark the presence of the nests
• The use of vehicles on beaches, including bicycles, motorbikes and
cars
• Horses and dogs without a leash are not permitted on beaches
• The use of any light source at night due to the fact that this may
disturb the turtles
• You are requested by the National Marine Park Place to place rubbish
in bins, or to take it with you when you leave. It is important not to
throw or discard rubbish or plastic into the sea, because sea turtles
may eat the plastic, mistaking it for jellyfish, and die from
suffocation
• Sea urchins and starfish must not be removed from the seabed
In the sea, the National Marine Park also monitors motor boat
activities. All boats are prohibited in Zone A. They are also permitted
In Zone B, but at a speed limit of 6 miles per hour, and they are not
allowed to drop anchor. In Zone C boats are permitted at a speed limit
of 6 miles per hour, and may drop anchor.
If you are going to head out on a turtle spotting trip, bear in mind
the correct procedure for observing the Loggerhead Sea turtle:
• Maintain a minimal distance from the turtles of ten to fifteen meters
• Observation of each turtle should not exceed ten minutes per boat,
when a turtle is near the surface, and fifteen minutes when the turtle
is resting on the seabed
• Boats should not approach turtles from in front, blocking the
direction of the swimming of the turtle
• No more than two boats should follow the same turtle at any one time
• Do not swim with turtles at any time
• Boat speed should not exceed two nautical miles per hour, when
observing the turtles
• Professional tour boats should operate only between the hours of
eleven in the morning and five in the afternoon
It is essential to be careful in the presence of a turtle and to behave
in a manner that causes minimum disturbance. When a turtle is disturbed
by your presence it will suddenly change direction or swimming speed.
On spotting marine mammals in the sea, such as dolphins, turtles or
seals, all boats should decrease speed to within the legal limit, and
not change direction abruptly. It is important not to chase or circle
animals, nor to rev the boat engine. Animals should be allowed to
approach or swim away from a boat in their own time. You should not try
to touch, feed, or swim with any animals. Depart immediately if you
observe any animals striking their head or fins on the surface of the
sea. Such activity indicates that the animals have been disturbed. If
anyone spots an animal in distress please report the situation as soon
as possible.
On finding an injured or sick animal (sea turtle, seal, dolphin or bird)
please contact the National Marine Park of Zakynthos or the Port Police
immediately.
For further information you can visit the newly opened Thematic
Exhibition Centre at Daphne, Vasilikos. There, you can learn about the
general biology of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, its reproductive cycle,
and the nesting beaches found on Zakynthos. It has something for all the
family, with a series of informative videos. For the children, there is
an exhibition of ‘masterpieces’ by young artists, as well as many
educational toys to help develop awareness regarding environmental
issues.
The Exhibition Centre is open from 10:00 until 20:00. (Telephone:
6973330786)
