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Hummer
June 16, 2026 – World Sea Turtle Day:
We dedicate this special day to the 40th sea turtle we have successfully rescued and rehabilitated: Hummer!
It is a moment of pride as we reflect on where we started as an organisation, how far we have come and where we aspire to go in the future. After all, sea turtles were the very reason behind the establishment of the Naxos Wildlife Protection Association 12 years ago.
Little Hummer, after overcoming a serious health challenge, has finally returned to the sea! He was found on March 4, 2026 at Grotta beach, Naxos, suffering from a severe lung infection. We estimate that he was only a few months old when he was rescued.
Following medical treatment and specialised rehabilitation, always in collaboration with the team at ARCHELON- The Sea Turtle Protection Society, and with the help of plenty of sardines (!), Hummer made a full recovery and was released back into the open waters of Naxos by members of our Association.
We remained by his side during the release, but Hummer quickly demonstrated just how healthy and strong he had become. Within the first few seconds, he performed a vertical dive to a depth of 10 metres before resurfacing in a controlled manner and swimming off into the big blue.
After Rica, Markella, Lena, Nireas, Odysseas, Bruno, and many other turtles, little Hummer became sea turtle #40 to be successfully rehabilitated!
We are incredibly proud because, year after year, we continue to grow, train, and strengthen our knowledge, skills, and facilities, allowing us to provide increasingly high-quality, effective, and specialized care to every sea turtle that arrives at our rehabilitation station. This ongoing commitment is reflected in our 95% rehabilitation success rate for sea turtles.
We warmly thank the team at ARCHELON, with whom we have collaborated since the founding of our Association in the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles across the Cyclades.
Happy swims, Hummer! 💙
P.S. We are already caring for Seba, sea turtle #41, who is responding positively to treatment and will hopefully soon follow Hummer on the journey back home to the sea.
Naxos Wildlife Protection 