Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The waters around Zakynthos are home to the last large sea turtle colony in Europe,
that of the endangered loggerhead turtle
(Caretta caretta)
. The loggerhead also nests in
smaller numbers in the Peloponnese and on Kefallonia and Crete. Greece's turtles have
many hazards to dodge - entanglement in fishing nets and boat propellers, consumption
of floating rubbish, and the destruction of their nesting beaches by sun-loungers and
beach umbrellas that threaten their eggs. It doesn't help that the turtles' nesting time co-
incides with the European summer holiday season.
There is still the chance that you will spot dolphins from the ferry deck, however, a
number of the species are now considered vulnerable. The number of common dolphins
(Delphinus delphis)
has dropped from 150 to 15 in the past decade. The main threats to
dolphins are a diminished food supply and entanglement in fishing nets.
DON'T BE A BOAR
Greece's relationship with its wildlife has not been a happy one. Hunting of wild an-
imals is a popular activity with Greeks as a means of providing food. This is particu-
larly true in mountainous regions where the partisanship of hunters is legendary.
Despite signs forbidding hunting, Greek hunters often shoot freely at any potential
game. While this can include rare and endangered species, the main game is often
wild boars, which have been around since antiquity. Considered destructive and
cunning animals, the number of wild boars has increased in recent decades, likely
due to a lower number of predators. Many argue that hunting is an important
means of culling them. There is also an increasing number of wild boar breeding
farms and you will find boar on many menus.
