Owners of tourism businesses in the small town of Dalyan in the Aegean province of Muğla are exploring various alternative methods of attracting tourists. Visitors have shown particular interest in tours that include sightings of the sea turtle the Caretta caretta and crab hunting.
During the tours, local and foreign tourists hunt for blue crabs, before cooking and eating them. They also are given the opportunity to feed the Caretta carettas walking around.
Dalyan Boat Cooperative President Atilla Gültekin emphasized the interest tourists take in these alternative boat tours. “We have started to organize alternative tours for tourists as well as daily sea, mud bath and historical tours. We also have tours that enable tourists to catch crab and fish and to see Caretta carettas,” he said, noting that the most popular tour is the blue crab tour.
Gültekin, noting that Russian and Dutch tourists in particular find the blue crab tours appealing, said the town was pleased with the interest that Russians have shown in Dalyan this year.
Gültekin added that tourists visiting the area look for various activities in addition to traveling and swimming.
He said his organization is careful that each tourist catches two or three blue crabs at most, adding, “They let female blue crabs go after catching them. This is very important because they are important for reproduction.”
Saying that seven or eight boats were used for blue crab tours each day, Gültekin said tourists cook and eat the blue crabs they hunt with the help of workers and in this way discover their own fishing abilities.
Blue crab
The enormous blue crab, which has great economic value in its native land of North America, was first brought to the lagoons of the North Aegean, dwelling especially in the lakes around Enez, following the Köyceğiz and Güllük lagoons that are lined up on the Aegean shores. They still exist in abundance around the Black Sea fish band in Fethiye and Taşucu.
Blue crabs living in Dalyan have become tourists” most demanded food. The crabs are cooked on the barbecue after being cleaned up.
Resource: Anatolia News Agency
