[1] She visited southwestern Turkey for the first time in July 1975, when the region was still outside the usual tracks of international tourism, by means of a boat (Bouboulina) purchased in Greece.

Particularly in the former Federal Republic of Germany the building caused a major uproar, because the German DEG (Deutsche Finanzierungsgesellschaft für Beteiligungen in Entwicklungsländern) wanted to use an amount equivalent to 5 million euros from public means under the pretense of development aid.

June Haimoff approached the WWF and consequently Prince Philip—then President—asked the Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Özal for a moratorium, while awaiting the outcome of an Environmental Impact Assessment.

A second edition published in 2002 and titled, this time, "Kaptan June and the Dalyan Turtles", featuring a new prologue, two additional chapters, bringing the story up to date, and an index.

Lately June Haimoff pursued her efforts in a wider frame, and was also concerned with the preservation of the nature in a more general sense with focus on the unique flora and fauna of the Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area.

She was particularly concerned for the protection of the soft-shelled Nile Turtle and the Oriental Sweetgum trees (Liquidambar orientalis), another endemic species proper to the region.