G-18 The cliffs stretching along the seashore between Ereğli and Zonguldak are used as breeding grounds, especially for the European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis). By depending on this feature, the region has been defined as an ‘Key Biodiversity Area’ by the Nature Association. These cliff-like structures and European Shag breeding areas are also seen in the city center, especially in the area on the sea-facing side of the Lighthouse. The lighthouse area is also very suitable for observing and photographing the behavior of European Shag approaching and landing the nest by maneuvering over the sea. With this convenient location, the Lighthouse region is one of the best places where European Shag photography is done in the most appropriate light and in the most beautiful way in Türkiye. These cliffs also house the breeding nests of Peregrine falcon, the fastest bird in the world. It is also possible to observe many other sea and shore birds along the cliffs and along the coast. According to records kept by Biologist and ornithologist Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sözen and other observers in the city, Zonguldak province is home to 312 of the 492 bird species recorded from Türkiye, most of which are observed in these coastal areas.

Another very important aspect of the cliffs is that in the areas where the cliffs meet the sea, they sometimes contain Mediterranean monk seal caves, the entrance of which is under the sea surface. With the determination of the cliffs as Geosite, several elements such as cliff geological formations, bird habitats in the cliffs, seal caves and adjacent marine habitats are simultaneously introduced and protected. Although Mediterranean monk seals are now extinct in the Black Sea, they lived in these areas until 40-50 years ago. The Mediterranean monk seal is strictly protected in the Aegean and Mediterranean, and this protection has allowed the species to enter the Marmara Sea as well. The preservation of the habitats around Zonguldak means that if they get the chance to return to the Black Sea, they can use these ancestral areas again.