Wild life - Turkey

[cdogg]

Posted on behalf of SWMBO! We are chartering from Gocek for a couple of weeks in May 2012. As my wife is a wildlife artist i.e. birds and marine life she has been Googling to find out what she is likely to see on our trip. So far, nothing much showing up and we just wondered if anybody had any experience of what she might see?

Also for both of us, are mosquitoes a problem in that area in May?

 

[sarabande]

for starters

http://www.kuyucuk.org/index.php/news-archive/61-ng


http://www.easyvoyage.co.uk/turkey/wildlife-3464


http://world-wildlife-adventures.com/directory/turkey/list-wildlife.asp

 

[cdogg]

for starters

http://www.kuyucuk.org/index.php/news-archive/61-ng


http://www.easyvoyage.co.uk/turkey/wildlife-3464


http://world-wildlife-adventures.com/directory/turkey/list-wildlife.asp

Thank you. I don't know why she didn't find these sites on Google

 

[cdogg]

Wildlife

We have had a look at web sites above, but they seem to focus on inland parks and sanctuaries etc. Does anyone have a first hand account of what they saw whilst sailing and exploring along the coast in the general Gocek area - both in the sea and on the nearby coastal land.

Any comments on the mosquitoes, or lack of ?

Thanks

 

[Norman_E]

You won't see a huge variety of wildlife around the Gocek area, as most of the big species are in the mountains and in the east of the country. What you may well see however is the Caretta Turtle. I see them fairly frequently, most recently in Fethiye and at Karakaoren. I have seen dolphins in Skopea Limani. There is plenty of birdlife, though I am no expert. I have even seen a kingfisher hunting around the boats in Yachtmarine at Marmaris, and perching on lazylines. There are lots of small fish in huge shoals. Just throw in a few pieces of bread to see a feeding frenzy.

As for Mosquitos, not too many in May, and the local anti mosquito spray called "Off" is pretty effective.

P.S. Tortoises are native reptiles, and quite common.

 

[cdogg]

Thanks Norman_E, that's encouraging see: www.janemilloy.co.uk and you will see how the turtles might fit in.

 

[Petronella]

Thanks Norman_E, that's encouraging see: www.janemilloy.co.uk and you will see how the turtles might fit in.

Wow, some cracking drawings there!

This year (well last year actually) we've seen....

From boat - lots of dolphins, mullet, loggerhead turtles, baracuda, lots of little fishes, a big leaping sailfish of some sort, pipe fish things, beautiful jelly fish, horrible sea slug things, egrets, skuas(?), petrels (?), many flying fish, kingfishers, small tuna, lobsters, octopus and probably some others I've forgotten.

From ashore (including walking bits of the Lycian Way) - tortoises, black snakes, vipers, scorpions, lots of different lizards (big and small), a fox, jays, hoopoes, owls (heard only), porcupine quills(!) and lots of goats, sheep, cows and donkeys!

But having said that we haven't found it to be a country where you see different wildlife every time you go out. If you are going to the Gocek area though there are good walks high up behind some of the bays like Wall Bay and 22 Fathom Bay. Even if you don't spot exciting wildlife you will get fantastic views, super light, blue skies, turquoise seas, a skinny dip if you want and probably not see anyone else all day at that time of the year.


Others may have been less fortunate but for us moquitoes just weren't a problem anywhere along the Turkish coast last year.


PS - Here's a Turkish Jelly Fish

 

[Twister_Ken]

Or have I misunderstood?

 

[MASH]

Plenty of wild boar in the forested hills. Nasty buggers - but they tend to lay up by day and forage by night.

In 30 plus weeks afloat over the last 8 years in the area I've seen 3 or 4 turtles , not many more dolphin sightings, two huge gamefish in the greek islands (sailfish?), no end of kingfishers, large numbers of Red Kestrel, several Buzzards, plenty of Jays and Quail, about a dozen seagulls, been serenaded on countless nights by what I assume are Nightingale, caught about 6 2Kg size fish in perhaps 2000miles pulling a lure. There ain't a lot of wildlife about, Turks are pretty undiscriminating with gun and ocean-clearing net. On land I've seen several tortoises, a few squirrels, one Chameleon, one scorpion, some porcupine quills and a whole lot of nothing much else.
Best wildlife is definately found under water, but even fish aren't one tenth as plentiful as you'd expect them to be.
Oh, millions of friendly inquisitive wasps and scarcely any mozzies.

 

[akyaka]

http://www.dalyanbirding.com/

In May most of the raptors have migrated back into the high mountains but we often see white tailed eagles during the summer as well as more locally, pelicans, storks , house martins, kingfishers, great tits which nest in our garden , that rare in UK the sparrow, jays ,syrian woodpeckers great owl etc.. We even had a golden eagle flying along at eaves level at christmas. and all this next to the sea

 

[Bobobolinsky]

Butterfly Bay? Oludeniz. The local trip boats go out to a reef in the same area, it is protected, no fishing, so many species

 

[cdogg]

Thanks everyone for your response, wife much happier now. Don't get me wrong she loves sailing but can't be trusted to hold a course if any wildlife flies or swims past - most disconcerting if you are in the heads and the boat suddenly does an unannounced 180deg about turn to follow something - OK, a slight exaggeration!

Compliments about her web drawings duly past on.