Indigo Turtles: Uniting Sea Turtles with the Blue of the Sea…

Orta Anadolu, along with Mavi have been collaborating in an advocacy to protect endangered sea turtles by supporting the Ecological Research Society’s (EKAD) Indigo Turtles project since 2014.

Mavi, designer of contemporary denim styles inspired by the Mediterranean spirit, and Orta Anadolu, developer of innovative, hi-tech denims in various indigo shades, have joined forces to engage in the now annual Indigo Turtles project, a cause to unite sea turtles with the blue of the sea.

The Indigo Turtles project, which was launched in 2014 and saves nearly fifteen thousand hatchlings every year, aims to protect two species of sea turtles native to the Mediterranean, Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas, each of which has navigated the earth for 110 million years. Facing many difficulties, only 40% of hatchling turtles reach the water and only one in a thousand survive. By helping sea turtles reach the sea, the Indigo Turtles project raises awareness of volunteering while making a difference. The project resounds not only in Turkey but also around the world. 

One T-shirt, 10 sea turtles!

Kicking off the second annual Indigo Turtle project, Mavi and Orta have introduced children’s 

t-shirts to their existing line of men’s and women’s t-shirts, encouraging support at a younger age. Every purchase of a Mavi Indigo Turtle t-shirt safeguards the lives of 10 baby sea turtles and makes a contribution to the Mediterranean basin. The t-shirts will generate resources to protect 15,000 hatchlings in 400 nests. 

LINK: us.mavi.com/Collections-Indigo-Turtle-Project

Along with hundreds of university volunteers from Turkey and around the world, customers, followers and employees of Mavi and Orta Anadolu join EKAD’s efforts in Belek, near Antalya from June to September. Young volunteers camp on the beaches to protect the mature female turtles’ eggs from external factors and help hatchlings climb out of their nests to reach the water.

EKAD asks: Did you know?

• The Ecological Research Society (EKAD) was established by academicians, most of whom are specialists on biodiversity and nature conservation, to combat elements that threaten nesting areas of protected species and hatchlings.
• The sea turtles have great importance for the Mediterranean’s marine and shore ecosystems and a large proportion of Mediterranean sea turtle nests are on Turkey’s beaches.
• It takes 15 to 20 years for a turtle to mature to lay eggs. Providing a safe environment for them to mature in is vital for the Mediterranean’s ecology.
• Protected sea turtles, which mature around 15-20 years, can live 60 years on average.
• Turtles spend most of their lives at sea. Only female sea turtles return to the beaches where they hatched to dig nests and lay eggs.
• As most of their time is spent at feeding sites and on over-wintering migration, sea turtles generally nest only once every 3 years.
• On average, a female sea turtle lays 3,200 eggs and builds 40 nests in her lifetime