Regular readers may remember that nearly a year ago we reported on the death of Haris, the sea turtle who was a regular visitor to the Old Harbour in Chania during the summer months, and was fed fish scraps by the Kopasis brothers, who run the Vasiliko fish restaurant on the Akti Enoseos and have their own fishing boat. Feeding Haris was a daily ritual attended by tourists and he was much mourned by the fishermen, who regarded him as their friend.
Haris had been visiting the harbour for some 15 years and had become the fishermen’s companion, often accompanying them in their work, while they many times had to disentangle him from ropes and nets. The Kopasis brothers told Haniotika Nea that he had probably died after becoming entangled in net or being hit by a boat’s propeller.
Visitors to the Old Harbour in Chania may experience a feeling of déjà vu: Left, restaurant owner and fisherman Pavlos Kopasis feeds Haris the turtle with fish scraps, August 2020. Below, Pavlos Kopasis feeds Suzie the turtle at the same spot, June 2024. Photos: Haniotika Nea.
Now, however, it appears that Haris has been replaced by a young female turtle who had been seen in the harbour before but had hitherto been scared off by Haris from joining the feeding sessions. Now, the almost daily ritual has been revived, with Suzie – as the fishermen have named her – being fed with sardines and scraps of kalamari, to the delight of dozens of bystanders.
A video clip of Suzie being fed can be seen on the Haniotika Nea website, here. https://www.haniotika-nea.gr/soyzi-i-nea-maskot-sto-limani-ton-chanion-video/