Despite residing in the Antalya province, situated at the base of the Taurus Mountains, there are some children who have never had the opportunity to experience the sea firsthand, to feel the sand between their toes or the saltwater in their noses. To address this, the "From the Taurus Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea Project" was implemented to provide these children with the chance to witness the marvels of the Mediterranean Sea.

 

Funda Sönmez, Setur Marinas Antalya Accounting Manager

 

The Taurus Mountains, which stretch from the Teke Peninsula to the Mediterranean Gulf, offer a unique landscape teeming with diverse flora and fauna, and rich in history. As one ascends the mountains, the aroma of earth and pine fills the air, while the coastal regions offer the salty fragrance of seaweed and access to the mesmerizing blue world of the sea. Children raised in this region are captivated by the pine-scented Taurus Mountains and filled with anticipation by the distant, mossy scent of the sea.

 

IMEAK DTO Antalya Branch, in collaboration with the Antalya Governorship Provincial Directorate of Education, has initiated a project for 7th and 8th-grade students across Antalya who have never had the opportunity to see the sea up close. The "From the Taurus Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea Project" organizes trips for groups of 30 students from different schools located in remote neighborhoods to Setur Antalya Marina, Qterminals Antalya Port Management, and Fettah Tamince Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School.

The goal of the project is to instill a maritime culture in these children, cultivate their love and interest in the sea, and promote awareness of these issues.

 

As part of the "From the Taurus Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea Project," which runs from March to the end of May, Ahmet, one of the students who visited the marina, saw the sea up close for the first time and exclaimed, "To see blue is to see eternity." Meanwhile, Ismail, with a scientist's curiosity, explained to his friends the origin of the blue color of the sea, which he was seeing for the first time: "Water molecules absorb better the long-wavelength light of red, orange, yellow, and green. Blue, on the other hand, has a shorter wavelength, and it stays in the water without getting absorbed. This means that blue light goes deeper and makes the water appear blue."

 

As they become more enthralled by the beauty of the sea, the children marvel at the reflection of the clouds on the surface of the water and the play of the sun's rays with the waves. They eagerly inquire about the sea, each posing their own unique question: "Is it safe to drink sea water?", "How deep does it go?", "What kind of fish live here?" 

 

 

Little Handan is fascinated by the vastness of the sea, pondering where it ends. Some students are already planning to buy a boat "when they become rich". Questions like "Do you have a boat?" and "Is it too expensive?" fill the air. Another curious question arises: "How do boats float on the water without sinking?"

 

We observe them conversing with each other, "That island over there (pointing to Sıçan Islet), when we know how to swim, should we compete to reach it?"

 

Asking questions is a defining characteristic of childhood, but regardless of the answers, the children are all eager to return to the sea.

 

As they observe a seagull soaring above the sea in search of prey, Ali is struck with wonder at the bird's ability to perch on the water. His inquisitive gaze reflects a deep desire to comprehend the mysteries of the universe.

 

Two students, who seem to be close friends, are whispering to each other. One of them expresses his desire to take the two little goldfish that his father bought him out of the aquarium and release them into the open waters of the sea. To him, the sea represents freedom, and perhaps blue is another word for freedom - a gateway to happiness and new beginnings.

 

 

With their smiles as enthusiastic as the waves and their eyes as bright as the sun, the students bid farewell to the marina. They leave evoking a line from an anonymous poem attributed to Cemal Süreya:

 

"I love you with the innocence of a child entering the sea for the first time, as if I'm going to drown."

 

Photographs: Funda Sönmez