TUI Care Foundation and conservation organisation ARCHELON release sea turtle in Greece

The TUI Care Foundation has released the rescued and rehabilitated loggerhead sea turtle Triton, in partnership with ARCHELON, The Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece. Triton was released back into the Mediterranean Sea with a satellite transmitter after several months of rehabilitation at ARCHELON’s Sea Turtle Rescue Centre. As part of the TUI Turtle Aid programme, the initiative aims to contribute valuable insights into sea turtle behaviour and helps conservation efforts that support the long-term health of sea turtles and their habitats.

Every year, ARCHELON’s Sea Turtle Rescue Centre cares for around 70 injured or ill sea turtles, many of which are affected by trauma resulting from boat collisions or other human activities. Triton, one of their recent patients, was found in 2023 on a Cycladic beach in the Aegean with significant head injuries. After extensive care and rehabilitation at the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre, Triton has now returned to the sea with a new mission: to help inform scientific understanding of sea turtle movements and habitat needs.

Triton is the first rehabilitated sea turtle in Greece to be tracked in real time via cutting-edge satellite telemetry. Telemetry gathers, transmits, and assesses data from distant sources through the use of sensors and various devices, enabling automatic data collection and analysis. ARCHELON’s researchers in the project are now looking forward to following Triton’s journey to better understand how rehabilitated sea turtles adapt behaviourally post-release, as well as to study migration patterns and habitat use.

Eirini Kasimati, ARCHELON’s Rescue & Rehabilitation Officer said: “We are incredibly excited about this opportunity to learn more about sea turtles and their critical role in marine ecosystems. With the support of the TUI Care Foundation, we can now shed light on the lives of these enigmatic creatures after rehabilitation and work towards ensuring their survival for generations to come.”

Alexander Panczuk, Executive Director at the TUI Care Foundation added: “The TUI Care Foundation supports the long-term protection of sea turtles by focusing on conservation at critical nesting sites and fostering partnerships that drive local impact. In our partnership with ARCHELON, we’re not only rescuing injured turtles like Triton, but also expanding our understanding of their behaviours through tracking. This partnership also allows us to engage local communities and tourists in conservation efforts, strengthening our commitment to sustainable tourism and the preservation of sea turtles.”

Named by TUI Group colleagues, Triton is inspired by Greek mythology, where Triton served as a messenger of the sea. The turtle’s release offers an opportunity to deepen scientific knowledge while also raising awareness about marine conservation.

Sea turtle tracking is part of the TUI Care Foundation’s TUI Turtle Aid programme, which protects endangered and vulnerable sea turtles, especially around nesting beaches. By working with local NGOs and beachfront tourism businesses, it creates turtle friendly beaches and engages tourists by teaching them about turtles and how to protect them. Since its establishment, the TUI Turtle Aid programme has contributed to the protection of over 2 million sea turtles.

Triton’s progress can be followed on the TUI Care Foundation’s website, where updates on his journey through the Mediterranean will be shared.