Few swimmers today dared to swim in the Municipal Baths in Paphos where yesterday there was another incident with a turtle that bit the back of a swimmer. In 3 other cases, swimmers had complained about similar attacks by the Caretta turtle. The president of the winter swimmers, Matthew Ierokipiotis, speaking on Radio Cosmos, confirmed that today, compared to other days, there were very few swimmers who visited the area. Many, as he said, chose neighboring beaches. Mr. Ierokipiotis described the turtles as safe, as he said, the swimmers should keep their distance and not try to feed or touch them.
Fisheries official Melina Markou told Radio Cosmos that in all cases turtles have been found to react in this way by linking human presence to food and trying to touch them. In no case continued turtles are not aggressive. He appealed to the swimmers not to feed the turtles and not to try to touch them. In 4 cases lately swimmers in the area of the Municipal Baths complained that a turtle caretta caretta approached them and bit them. Yesterday, a swimmer complained that he was bitten on the back and toes of a turtle, again in the area of the Municipal Baths.
