Some of these travel experiences remain within you even
after you are back home and one of them is turtle watching in North Cyprus at
the Alagadi beach. The Turtle Beach, as it is referred to, is not only a
beautiful piece of golden sand but it is also a nesting place of two endangered
species: loggerhead and green turtles.
My visit to Alagadi was not a normal visit to the beach. I
got there in the evening, when the sun was setting behind the Kyrenia
Mountains, and leaving the sky a kind of orange and pink. We were met by
Volunteers of the Society of Protection of Turtles (SPOT) who introduced us to
the conservation work they undertake.
They were so much in love with these animals that I was
immediately swept up in the same spirit, and felt as though I were a member of
a larger enterprise than a night outing by the sea.
When the night fell we were ushered to the beach in groups.
The atmosphere was muted and the waves and the sand crunching under our feet
were the only sounds.
Side note: Don’t forget to book Cheap Stansted Airport Parking if you want to experience a
stress-free trip.
Next, we had all been waiting, and at last, a small
hatchling came out of the nest, and with a will, he waved his flippers to the
water. It was humbling and awe-inspiring to see this tiny being's first walk
with its first steps towards its survival.
Turtle watching in Alagadi is not only a wildlife tourism,
it is a lesson to be patient, respectful and in harmony with nature. The no
flash, no touching, no touching, strict rules stressed the fact that this was
not about us but about the turtles.
When you happen to be in North Cyprus around the months of
May through August, you should reserve a night out at Alagadi. It is no grand
tour, but it is one of the best.
There is nothing like being under the stars and watching
ancient instincts at work upon the sand, to appreciate that some of the most
wonderful things of travel are not at all man-made, but are part of nature.
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