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Caretta Caretta turtles are found in the waters of the Ionian Sea, in particular around the sheltered bays of Zakynthos. They are one of the oldest species in the world, alive when dinosaurs roamed the planet, although the present species have developed and changed significantly since those times. Named for their huge heads and powerful jaws, loggerhead turtles are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles alive today, differing from other sea turtles in having relatively large heads and reddish coloration. Adults grow to an average weight of one hundred kilos, and can reach more than a metre in length. They feed on shellfish, jellyfish, fish and other small marine animals and it is estimated that they live from thirty up to sixty years in their natural habitat.

Loggerhead sea turtles are able to hold their breath for long periods of time. While swimming, they will dive for around five minutes but are capable of diving for up to twenty minutes and can rest for hours without needing to return to the surface for more air. The Caretta Caretta have adapted well to sea life, they have salt glands near their eyes, which allow them to drink sea water and excrete salt in high concentrations, giving the illusion that they are crying and adding to the myth that the females have been seen crying for their young.

Shortly before the nesting season the males migrate to the mating grounds, just offshore from the nesting beaches and wait there for the females to begin courtship and mating. This occurs during the early summer months, the males remaining in the water and the females alternating between mating in the water and nesting on land. A female loggerhead turtle will reach reproductive maturity at around thirty years old and will nest approximately every two weeks, up to five times, during the breeding season, returning to lay her eggs on or near the same beach where she herself hatched. Each nest must be excavated on land, where the female is open to predators. She will lay up to one hundred and thirty eggs which remain incubated for between a month and a half to two and a half months depending on the temperature. For these reasons, environmental agencies strive to protect the nesting grounds due to the decline in numbers of this now endangered species.

The hatchlings usually emerge from their nests at night and begin their arduous journey to the sea. They will head towards the brightest light which hopefully is the moon's reflection on the horizon over the sea. Once in the water, hatchlings navigate their way to the currents in which they will spend approximately the next ten years of their lives.

The beaches of Zakynthos, especially in Laganas bay area, have the highest concentration of turtle nesting sites in the Mediterranean. It is of paramount importance that these nesting grounds are protected to ensure the survival of this species of sea turtle in the Ionian Sea. A series of measures have been adopted in order to protect the Caretta-Caretta and in 1999 a National Marine Park (NMPZ) was established, the first marine park in Greece. The nesting beaches of the Caretta Caretta are patrolled to limit any damage to the turtle nests. The Society for the Turtle Protection in association with the Greek Ministry of Environment work endlessly to try to protect the Caretta Caretta, here are a number of tips that visitors to Zante should take into consideration:

• Do not use the beaches of the Gulf of Laganas and Gerakas between sunset and sunrise.
• Do not put up sun umbrellas in the marked zones, you may inadvertantly stick that umbrella straight through a nest buried in the sand.
• Take your rubbish with you when you leave the beach. Litter can be mistaken by the turtles as food and once they have eaten it, it can cause them to suffocate or be poisoned.
• Do not use lights near the beach at night because it disturbs the nesting turtles and confuses the hatchlings who naturally head towards the bright lights.
• Do not take any vehicle on the protected beaches, this can cause nests and the eggs inside them to be crushed.
• Do not dig up turtles nests.
• Do not pick up the hatchlings or carry them to the water. You may think that you are helping them but it is in fact part of their natural progression to make their own way to the sea, developing their muscles on the land so that they are strong enough to swim.
• Watersports are not available in the Laganas Bay as speedboat propellors can cause injury and death to swimming turtles, if their shell is split by a propellor, they cannot submerge and will die. Watersports are available elsewhere around the island.

From some of the beaches on the island it is possible to take boat trips to see the turtles, the most well known beach from which to do this is Laganas beach. It is a favourite trip of many tourists as it offers a unique experience to see such ancient and majestic creatures swimming gracefully in the calm waters of the Ionian Sea.