Will you see turtles on a Zakynthos boat trip?

The short answer

A speedboat trip in the marine park gives you a real chance of a turtle and no guarantee of one. The booking page describes a three-hour cruise whose first aim is to spot loggerhead sea turtles, and it says the speedboat approaches them in a safe way. Reviewers on that page give mixed but mostly happy reports: some saw one or two turtles, some saw several, and one wrote that it was not a given but that the boat ride to beautiful places made the trip worth it anyway. That is the right way to book it. Treat the turtle as the headline and the coast as the guarantee.

What the trip is

The tour is described as a premium small group of 8 to 14 people on a semi-private speedboat, lasting about three hours. The booking page says the boat leaves from Agios Sostis harbour and heads into the National Marine Park of Zakynthos for turtle spotting. It then passes Cameo islet, reaches the caves and arches of the Keri coast and makes two or three swim stops, the last at Marathonisi, the islet the page calls turtle island. Guides in English and Greek are listed. Food and drinks are not included.

What the marine park is

Wikipedia says the National Marine Park of Zakynthos was founded in 1999 and covers 135 square kilometres of Laganas Bay. It was set up to protect the loggerhead sea turtle, and the booking page adds the Mediterranean monk seal. The park has three marine zones, A, B and C, plus strictly protected nesting areas, and fishing is prohibited in each marine zone. A local island guide describes Zone A as closed to boats and says Zones B and C allow slow boats, with anchoring banned in Zone B. Six beaches around the bay are nesting sites, and ARCHELON counts an average of 1,200 nests a year on them.

Why no one can promise a turtle

A loggerhead is a wild animal, and most of its day is spent below the surface. Wikipedia says the species can spend up to 85 per cent of a day underwater and can stay submerged for more than ten hours. You are looking for an animal that chooses when to come up. Add boats, wind and the way light falls on the water, and a sighting becomes a matter of timing. No operator can fix that, and a captain who promises one is guessing.

What reviewers say

Travellers have rated the trip 4.6 across about 3,870 reviews. In the most recent verified reviews the pattern is plain. Several travellers write that they saw turtles, one of them two and another several. A reviewer who went in October wrote that the turtle season was already over and the group still saw one. Another wrote that they did spot turtles but that it is not a given, and still found the trip definitely worth it. Reviewers also praise the caves, the clear swim stops and the small group, which is why this guide asks you to value the whole route.

What turtle-friendly looks like

ARCHELON publishes the observation rules that boats in the park are expected to follow. The speed limit is 6 knots where boats are allowed and should drop below 2 knots during an observation. Observation vessels keep a distance of 15 metres from the animal, other vessels stay at least 45 metres away, and a turtle is always approached from the side. No more than two vessels watch one turtle at the same time, and the watch should be silent and last no more than 10 minutes. ARCHELON also says the Management Body of the park and ARCHELON issued guidelines that every boat operator is required to follow. The booking page says the speedboats approach the turtles in a safe way, which is the standard to hold a captain to.

What you must not do

Do not touch or feed a turtle. ARCHELON asks people to avoid both, and says feeding interferes with natural diet and teaches people a wrong idea of wildlife. A swim stop is a swim stop: the booking page offers swimming at a private beach, at the Keri caves and at Marathonisi, and it does not offer swimming with turtles. If a turtle surfaces near the boat, stay seated, keep your voice low and let the captain manage the distance.

Read next: Watching turtles responsibly on a Zakynthos boat

What the rest of the trip is worth

The booking page lists the caves and arches of the Keri coast, a first swim stop at a private beach and a visit to the caves where the captains take the boat close in for photographs. A travel site says the Keri caves can only be reached from the sea and that some of them have entrances small enough to need a kayak, so a boat reaches some and not all. Marathonisi gives the final swim. Even for a visitor who sees no turtle, this is a coastal swimming trip in very clear water.

Read next: Keri caves, Cameo islet and Marathonisi explained

Who this isn't for

It suits people who want a short outing, can swim and accept a wild-animal gamble. Pregnant women, people with back problems, wheelchair users and people prone to seasickness are advised against it, and a small fast boat on open water moves a lot. If you want a whole day, a stop at a famous cove and little interest in wildlife, the Shipwreck Beach day on the other coast suits you better.

Read next: Turtle trip or Shipwreck Beach: which Zakynthos boat day?

When to go

Wikipedia says female loggerheads lay their eggs at night from May to August, which is the nesting season on the beaches. The booking page names no season for seeing turtles at sea, and nothing in the sources used here says one month is certain. Plan for a chance rather than a date. Use the calendar to see which days are open, and read the weather note on the booking page, because captains change the route for safety.

Booking

Open the calendar, choose a date and then an option, because pickup differs between options. You pay GetYourGuide, which also deals with any change of plan; the trip can be dropped at no cost until the day before, or booked now and paid for later. Nothing here comes from the boat company, the operator or the park, and the guide has no tie to any of them. Your voucher gives the exact meeting point, and the packing list is short: hat, swimwear, towel, sunscreen, water.