Locals were left puzzled when parts of the Aegean Sea receded last week, but experts say it is nothing to worry about. For a country on constant alert for earthquakes, it was associated with a new disaster by locals, but experts have downplayed it as a seasonal phenomenon.

The recession reached to 20 meters (66 feet) on the coasts of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest province. The muddy bottom of the sea turned into a wet stretch in the Seferihisar district, creating a natural walkway. In Burhaniye, a district of Balıkesir province further north of Izmir, the remains of a 2,500-year-old port emerged from the bottom of the sea with the waters receding. Similarly, remnants of an ancient port in Datça, a district of Muğla, some 460 kilometers (285 miles) south of Burhaniye, appeared out of the water one morning, to the chagrin of locals.

Professor Doğan Yaşar, a maritime sciences expert from Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir, says the phenomenon is quite common, at least for Izmir, at this time of year. The recession is tied to a strong tide and winds that battered the coast recently. "We see waters receding usually in February and March. High pressure, combined with north wind and tides cause it. Contrary to this situation, when southwestern winds appear, we see the waters rise as high as 60 centimeters (24 inches). So, this is a usual situation," he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday.