A guide to turtle spotting in Zante

One of Zante’s best beaches for snorkelling, Kalamaki Beach also happens to be a prime turtle spotting location. Perched on the coast, just south of the airport, this might seem an unlikely spot for a serene swim. But, the adult loggerhead turtles spending their time here swimming over the sea grass meadows don’t seem to mind. The seagrass strands are a stunning sight on their own – gently undulating in the clear waters, but the small fish and turtles that swing by make it a sight to remember. There’s a reason the meadows are known as the rainforests of the Med. Expect to see a lot of marine life, not just turtles. 

This stretch of sand has tell-tale signs of turtle action – right on the beach. In nesting season, you’ll spot many wooden frames protecting sections of shore. These are turtle nests, full of unhatched eggs left by adult loggerhead turtles earlier in the year. A stroll along the beach, when it first opens at 7am, could mean a chance encounter with a baby turtle. There’s a definite no-touch policy, but watching from a reasonable distance will be a memory to treasure. Volunteers can often be seen here, counting hatchlings, protecting nests and gathering data. If you want to sunbathe here, stay clear of the wooden frames – and only use the umbrellas provided. Putting your own stakes, brollies or similar in the sand could damage an unrecorded nest. 

A spot on Mario Cruise’s small boat gets you to Turtle Beach before most people have taken a seat at their breakfast buffet. And, exploring Turtle Island before the peak rush hour certainly has its advantages. You’ll have the island to yourselves to begin with, and on the way back, if you do spot a turtle in the water – there shouldn’t be the same crowding problems that appear later in the day. Add in the glass-bottomed hull of Mario’s specially commissioned cruiser and you could get a very top-down view of a loggerhead turtle. This full day tour includes swim stops and explores the caves along the shore. Mario does also dive into the water to bring sea creatures (not turtle) to the boat for passengers to see and touch, taking a point or two off the low impact score for this otherwise mindful turtle tour. 

One way to minimise stress on Zante’s turtles is to skip the boat tours entirely and deploy some paddle power. Hire a couple of sea kayaks and explore the shoreline by yourselves or hop on the Turtle Island tour from Sea Kayaking Zakynthos. Over the course of 3.5 hours, you’ll paddle and snorkel around 4 nautical miles of Zante’s waters. As well as scooting over to Turtle Island (Zante’s prime turtle spotting location) you’ll paddle into the Keri Caves and snorkel in the warm, clear waters. There’s no guarantee you’ll see a turtle – but this trip is an eco-friendly, low impact way to access the loggerhead turtles’ habitat. 

Although Zante’s turtle figures are impressive, you won’t necessarily see a turtle every time you hop in the ocean. So it pays to combine your turtle watching exploits with the chance to see more of the island’s impressive marine life. The team at Diver’s Paradise can take you to a selection of Zante dive sites, with options to suit all abilities. To amp up your chances of seeing loggerhead turtles, join them on their Marathonissi dive. Suitable for all levels of diving experience, this easy dive is known as the ‘Aquarium’ for a reason. Huge fish numbers, shallow calm waters and you’re diving right by Turtle Island. Another low impact way to swim with Zante’s turtles – and avoid the boat jam in the waters above. 

Many, many visitors head for this small museum and rescue centre hoping to see a turtle resting up before being re-released. But, the centre has struggled over the years to raise the funds needed to fully launch a meaningful rescue operation. That said, this small but determined effort is all down to local resident, Yiannis Vardakastanis. For 20 years he’s seen the turtles struggle with the rise of tourism and Yiannis hopes his free information centre close to Gerakas Beach will go some way to help educate visitors to the turtle’s plight. The buildings here have useful information on the loggerhead turtle population, how to protect the island’s turtles and details of the other wildlife and plants you can find on Zante. Though, the small collection of terrapins and tortoises might be disappointing for anyone hoping to see turtles.