In 1999 the bay of Lagana, on the south side of Zakynthos, has been declared a national maritime park to protect the endangered caretta caretta loggerhead turtle. This area hosts by far the largest nesting colony in the Mediterranean, with the secluded beach of Sekania as the world’s highest loggerhead nesting concentration.

The bay has been split up in several naval zones, fishing is banned, speed limits are strict and on the southeast side all vessel activities are prohibited. Six beaches are controlled by the Sea Turtle Protection Society and tight rules are established for visiting these beaches. The balance between the needs of tourist development and preserving the breading areas is quite delicate.

Half of all tourist activities on Zakynthos are located around this bay and it has put significant pressure on the nesting beaches. Especially the beaches of Kalamaki and Gerakas are worth spending a day of leisure but please respect the habitat of the caretta caretta turtle.