Ecotourism & Conservation

How SEE Turtles Protects SEA Turtles

Our goal is to support sea turtle conservation efforts around the world through ecotourism. We work with community-based organizations working at key turtle sites to help promote responsible tourism that will allow the organizations to expand their work and bring alternative sources of income to communities where poaching and fishing are common practice.

Here are some of the ways we support conservation efforts:

• Since our launch, we have generated more than $130,000 for conservation and local communities. This income is a combination of donations, small grants, fees, and indirect spending.
  
• More than 250 people have visited our partners so far, ranging from long-term volunteers to travelers visiting a nesting beach for an evening.
  
• Small grants we have given to partners have funded the removal of fishing gear and helped train guides in Baja California Sur, as well as paying for beach patrols and allowing a women’s cooperative expand an innovative recycled plastic bag program in Costa Rica.  
  
• Our Turtle Watching Best Practices guide is helping to improve how communities and governments manage turtle tourism in several countries.
• We have reached more than 15 million people with the message of responsible turtle tourism through magazines, blogs, enewsletters, and speaking engagements. Check out our media page for examples.
  
• Volunteers recruited through our Matching Service have completed more than 500 shifts patrolling nesting beaches, guarding hatcheries, and other important activities.
• Our school presentations have reached more than 800 students around the country.
• SEE Turtles is the first to offer "conservation pricing" where each tour price lists how much of the cost goes towards conservation and local communities.

Support Our Work

SEE Turtles is a non-profit project that depends upon donations to support sea turtle conservation organizations.  Every dollar you donate will help us leverage funding for these small, hard-working groups.  Donate online through our sponsor, The Ocean Foundation, here.  Please make sure to check "SEE Turtles" on the form.

Read Our Responsible Tourism Policy

Responsible Tourism Policy (2,715 kb)