The tourists ran out of the water injured. “It’s amazing how they respond to people.”
Several tourists, including a child, were bitten by a turtle in Croatia. One of the people has an open wound. Experts do not hide their surprise.
An unusual event occurred on Monday in Croatia, in the Split-Dalmatia County. The turtle (according to the media, a loggerhead) attacked and bit several people in the area from Kaštel Kambelovac to Lukšić.
“My mother was swimming in the sea. A diver told her that a large turtle was swimming towards her, but before he could warn her, it bit her on the thigh and did not want to let go. My mother hit him until he finally let go. The bite left a bruise,” described a reader of the Dalmacija Danas portal.
Turtles bit tourists. Serious wounds
One of the adults had a broken arm and an open wound to the gluteal muscle. The child and another adult suffered minor injuries.
Such situations are rare, but the loggerhead turtle’s powerful shellfish-crushing jaw can cause serious tissue contusions and deep wounds. If bitten, it is recommended to immediately rinse the wound with clean water and consult a doctor immediately.
“Maybe he was just hungry.”
In an interview with porta.hr, Dr. Pero Tutman from the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split commented on the matter.
“Turtles usually nest on sandy beaches where they can easily bury their eggs, which is not very common in our region. No breeding has been recorded in our region for a hundred years, but last year the babies were found on the beach in Lumbarda in Korčula, and colleagues from Montenegro found a nesting site on the beach in Ulcinj. Whether it has something to do with global warming, I really don’t know. It’s unusual that they come so close to the coast and react so much to people,” concluded Dr. Tutman.
He said action in the field is taken only when turtles are injured.
“We do not have a system in Croatia that would only be responsible for turtles, so if they are not endangered, we do not touch them,” he added.
“It must be admitted that this is an unusual phenomenon. Sea turtles usually do not swim close to the shore and do not attack people, so we do not know what attracted this individual. Perhaps the swimmer reminded him of something associated with food, or maybe he was simply hungry,” said Karin Speich, a sea turtle expert from the Aquarium in Pula.
