engleski

Adriatic Marine Turtle Program: Results of research on potential marine turtle nesting beaches along the southern coast of Croatia

In period between July 1st and August 8th 1997, 960 km of southern Croatian coast between Split and Dubrovnik (mainland and islands) were surveyed for the existence of potential loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting beaches. In total, 296 beaches were inspected (gravel and sandy), with a total length of about 20 km, while the most of the coast (about 940 km, or 97.9%) consists of Mesozoic carbonate rocks. Due to beach dimensions, beach sand and vegetation, offshore approach and shoreline composition, 5 out of the 18 sandy beaches found in total seem physically suitable for loggerhead nesting, with a total length of 1040 m. Three sandy beaches in Saplunara and Blace Bays on Mljet Island, less exploited by tourism, should be emphasized as the most suitable loggerhead nesting beaches in southern Croatia. Irregular observations of marine turtle tracks were reported from inhabitants of Saplunara Bay. According to some uncorfirmed data, on Mljet Island, turtle eggs were in the past used for domestic consumption. Although it seems that emergences by individual specimens occasionally occur on Mljet Island, there are no data on the existence of a nesting loggerhead population.

sea turtles; nesting beaches; Croatia

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