Swimming with turtles in Zakynthos

Can you swim with turtles on Zakynthos?

You can swim in Laganas Bay, but not with the turtles. ARCHELON asks people not to swim with them, and the code for boats sets a 15 m distance.

There's no rule that clears the water when a turtle shows up, and turtles do pass swimmers in the bay. The point is not to go to them. A turtle that surfaces to breathe and finds people around it may dive again before it has had its air. Repeated, that tires the animal, and in the nesting season many of the turtles in the bay are females between nests.

No legitimate trip on Zakynthos sells a 'swim with turtles' stop. If a crew tells you to jump in next to one, that's a crew to avoid. The boat trips compared guide shows which trips swim where.

What should you do if a turtle swims near you?

Stop, stay calm and give it space. Don't follow it, touch it or try for a selfie; let it surface, breathe and swim off.

• Freeze, then back off slowly. Aim for the 15 m the boats must keep.
• Never block its way to the surface. It needs air.
• Don't touch the shell or hold on to it. That's a criminal offence for a protected species in Greece if it harms the animal.
• No food, ever. Feeding changes their behaviour and draws them to boats and harbours.
• Photos from where you are are fine. No flash under water.

Injuring a protected species can mean a fine and jail under Greek law (Law 1650/1986, Law 4042/2012 and Presidential Decree 67/1981, cited by ARCHELON).

Why shouldn't you touch or feed the turtles?

Feeding teaches turtles to approach boats and people, where propellers hurt them. Touching stresses them and can spread germs both ways.

In Argostoli on Kefalonia, turtles compete for scraps thrown into the harbour, and researchers there ask visitors to stop (Wildlife Sense). A turtle that links boats with food swims toward them, and boats are the main danger in Laganas Bay. ARCHELON has documented collisions year after year: the adult male Achilles died after a speedboat hit him in 2017, and Hercules was badly injured in July 2019 (ARCHELON).

Loggerheads also have strong jaws built for crushing crabs and shellfish. A turtle that expects food can bite a hand.

A crew that slows down in the park, two swim stops and 50 minutes on Marathonisi, with hotel pickup.

★ 4.6 · 3 hours · from $32

Explore the turtle speedboat tour → Tour details

Do turtles carry chlamydia or other germs?

Some can. Reptiles, turtles included, can carry Salmonella, and chlamydial DNA has been found in loggerheads in Italian research. Either way, don't touch them.

The US CDC has repeatedly linked pet turtles to Salmonella outbreaks and warns people not to kiss or cuddle them (UPI, 2022). For sea turtles, a 2022 study of 20 loggerheads in a rehabilitation centre near Naples found chlamydial DNA in all of them on one test and in 8 of 20 on another; the turtles showed no illness, and the authors say the risk to people "cannot be excluded" and needs more research (Animals, 2022).

For a swimmer the risk is tiny. It's one more reason, after the turtle's own welfare, to keep your hands to yourself. Rinse off after a swim if you like, as you would anywhere in the sea.

The same goes for injured or dead turtles washed up on a beach. Don't move them: call the ARCHELON line on +30 6941 511 511 or the marine park, and let trained people handle it.

Where do the turtle trips stop to swim?

At the Keri Caves, on the Marathonisi beach, at the Myzithres rocks and sometimes at Cameo Islet. All are inside or next to the marine park.

The main swim stops, and which trips use them:

Snorkel gear comes with the glass-bottom boat and the half-day tour. On the others, bring your own mask. Guests on the Zante Mare speedboat mention jumping off rocks of about 5 m at the swim stops.

No boat? You can swim from the nesting beaches in daytime: Gerakas, Dafni, Kalamaki and East Laganas. Keep your towel within 5 m of the water, leave before sunset and don't dig in the dry sand. A turtle may surface off any of them. Same rules: watch, don't follow.

Where can I swim with turtles in Greece?

Nowhere responsibly. You can watch them closely from land in Argostoli on Kefalonia, and from boats in Laganas Bay.

In Argostoli harbour and the Koutavos Lagoon, researchers have counted more than 100 loggerheads at once in April and May and identified over 360 in a year (Wildlife Sense). You watch them from the De Bosset bridge, morning or evening, with no boat and no swimming. It's the easiest close view in Greece.

Snorkelling where turtles feed happens all along the Greek coast, and you may meet one. The same rules apply anywhere: distance, no touching, no food. The Greek islands guide compares the places.

Be wary of trips abroad that sell feeding or swim-alongs as the main event. A turtle that's fed by boats learns to come to boats, and that is how propeller injuries happen. If a listing promises you'll touch or feed a turtle, book something else.

What is the number one killer of sea turtles?

Fishing bycatch: turtles caught and drowned in nets, longlines and trawls. Around Zakynthos, boat strikes, hooks and litter add to it.

NOAA calls bycatch the greatest threat to sea turtles in US waters, through drowning in trawl gear, hooks and line entanglement (NOAA Fisheries), and the picture is similar in the Mediterranean. In Laganas Bay the local threats are the ones visitors can change: speeding boats, fishing line and plastic. ARCHELON's rescue centre in Glyfada takes in about 70 injured turtles a year.

The 2026 nesting beaches report adds a land-side warning: only 12% of Greece's loggerhead nesting beaches are in good condition, and 38% are poor (To Vima).

What should you be careful of when swimming in Zante?

Boats more than turtles. Stay inside the marked swim areas, wear water shoes on rocks, and don't jump where you can't see the bottom.

• Boat traffic: Agios Sostis and Keri are busy in summer. Swim where the crew tells you.
• Rocks and urchins: the self-drive listing recommends water shoes. Myzithres and Keri have pebbles and rock.
• Sun: there's little shade on Marathonisi, and no umbrellas are allowed. Bring a hat and water.
• Cliff jumps: guests report 5 m jumps on some trips. Check the depth first, every time.
• Seasickness: speedboats bounce outside the park. The glass-bottom boat is gentler.

Frequently asked questions