Reducing Plastic Waste in Cape Verde & Ivory Coast

SEE Turtles, with the support of the Change Happens Foundation, supported the launch of two projects working to reduce plastic waste in sea turtle habitats and develop recycling infrastructure that benefit coastal communities. Through our Sea Turtles & Plastic program, SEE Turtles provided two $5,000 grants to Conservation des Especes Marines (Ivory Coast) and Fundacao Tartaruga (Cape Verde) that are helping to clean up thousands of pounds of plastic from important sea turtle habitats.

Over the grant period, the two organizations achieved significant progress in reducing plastic in these key sea turtle habitats including:

• An estimated 96,000 lbs of waste collected between the two sites (11,000 lbs in Ivory Coast and 85,000 lbs in Cape Verde).

• 44 local residents and a total of 300+ including families benefitting from recycling programs (250+ people in Ivory Coast and 50+ beneficiaries in Cape Verde).

• Launch of a recycling center in Cape Verde that provides income for turtle rangers out of nesting season.

• Both projects combined generated more than $11,000 in financial benefits for local residents.

Fundacao Tartaruga: Cabo Verde

The Fundacao Tartaruga team, with support from our Sea Turtles & Plastic campaign and other funders, over the past two years have organized 34 beach cleanups, with an estimated 84,000 lbs of plastic collected with the help of 671 participants. These cleanups helped to maintain more than 6 miles of one of the world’s most important nesting beaches for loggerhead sea turtles. Most of the collected debris was transported to the local landfill as there are no commercial recycling facilities available to recycle the majority of what was collected. A small portion of the waste was taken to the LixoLimpo workshop, the small-scale upcycling facililty created with support from these funds by Fundacao Tartaruga.  

Over the two years, the foundation has made significant progress in creating infrastructure for upcycling in the country. The process to purchase and ship the equipment took longer than initially anticipated but the workshop is now up and running and being manned by 7 local turtle rangers, allowing them to earn income outside of the nesting season where their salaries are paid. To date, approximately 1,000 upcycled products have been produced, including keychains, flower pots, combs, and other products. They are now also hiring an additional two female residents to produce items for the shop throughout the year. The project has generated roughly US $8,700 from product sales to date.

Beach cleanup, photos: Fundacao Tartaruga

Recycling machine

Conservation des Espèces Marines: Ivory Coast

During the grant period, the Conservation des Especes Marines (CEM) team has worked diligently to reduce plastic waste in the environment through various beach clean-up events. Over the project duration, CEM successfully collected a total of 5,035 kilograms (11,077 lbs) of plastic waste. This amount exceeds the 6,000 lbs Conservation des Especes Marines estimated for the initial application. Most of that amount was recycled through IPC Green Blocks, for a total of 4,835 kg (10,637 lbs), which IPC converts this waste into recycled plastic waste that is used to construct local schools and health centers. This recycled plastic generated $1,800 in income for the community members who participated in the project, in addition to the $1,200 in stipends, for a total community income of about US $3,000.

A total of 35 local people benefited from their involvement in the beach cleaning activities being paid a stipend to participate. This group included 5 people from the local Dawa communities and 5 fishermen, mainly chief fishermen. Each person has an average family of 8 on average, bringing the total beneficiaries to 250+ people. The chief fishermen played a crucial role not only in the clean-up activities, but also in raising awareness among their peers about the importance of plastic prevention. They participated in various clean-up activities, removing plastic waste from key areas such as fishing harbours and important nesting sites within the Marine Protected Area (MPA) beaches. Their involvement has been instrumental in maintaining the cleanliness of these vital ecosystems and promoting sustainable practices within the community.

To encourage the participation and support their income, the project provided financial incentives to cleanup participants of $200 per person total for the four cleanup activities. While the primary motivation was to sensitize and involve them in conservation activities, the financial support served as encouragement and recognition of their contributions. Although this support was not substantial enough to stabilize their economic situation, it demonstrated appreciation for their efforts and helped to foster a sense of community responsibility for environmental conservation.

Ivory Coast beach cleanups, photos: Conservation des Especes Marines

Cuba Nature & Culture Trip Diary

There’s a turtle! Wait, there are two turtles. Three turtles? Yes, three. No there’s a fourth! Wait, hold on, is that a fifth coming out? Yes, there’s another.

I arrived to a Cuba significantly different than the one I last visited in 2016. In some ways, things have advance, wifi is much more common in the cities. And the very confusing two currency system has been done away with. But as many Cubans mentioned, the situation on the island in many ways has become more challenging for the people. Inflation and economic sanctions have taken a toll, causing dramatic emigration and significantly reducing the tourism economy. Blackouts and food shortages have become common around the country. US policy towards Cuba is a major reason for these problems, our continued sanctions and policies toward the country are inhumane and are hurting the Cuban people. Our visit was an opportunity to provide some support for Cubans and their work to protect wildlife.

Square in Old Havana

Statue in Plaza Vieja, Havana

SEE Turtles led our first Cuba Sea Turtle Adventure trip to the island since 2018, under a license with the category of “Support For The Cuban People,” one of the few permissible ways to take Americans to the country. Over a week, we visited different communities and explored some of the most fascinating parts of this endlessly fascinating place. We started in Havana meeting our local guide from Cuban Adventures, Yasiel, one of the most enthusiastic and engaging folks to lead our conservation trips. That was followed by a wonderful dinner at Bazar El Luvre with many local dishes. The next morning, he took us on a walking tour of Old Havana to learn about the history and current situation for the people here. From there, we boarded a bus to head west to beautiful Viñales, a gorgeous unique valley with farmland interspersed with large hills called mogotes.

After checking into a homestay with a lovely family, we had dinner at Finca El Paraiso, an award-winning farm to table restaurant with an extraordinary view. Most of the food is grown on the farm including a delicious medicinal cocktail. Afterwards, we visited a local bar for some fun salsa music and dancing and then headed back to our casas for rest.

View of Viñales from Finca El Paraiso

On Monday, after breakfast with our host families, we visited a local farm to learn how this region was the best place to grow cigars in the world. We also tried some locally made rum and honey and the family served as a delicious local meal. We then made the trek to the island’s furthest western point, Guanahacabibes National Park. We had time for a quick dip in the ocean right in front of our cabins and then showered before dinner with our hosts.

After dinner, biologist Dr. Julia Azanza gave us a wonderful presentation about the decades-long work on the nesting beaches of the park. Here, green and loggerhead turtles nest for several months a year, a project that our Billion Baby Turtles program has supported for the past 10 years. We next hopped on our bus for the drive to the nesting beach, passing through a short bit of forest before arriving to the camp of local volunteers. Before the turtles arrived, I gathered the group and researchers and told them about our late co-founder Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, who was a leading turtle researcher and author of the bestselling book Blue Mind. I brought a bit of J’s ashes along to spread on the nesting beach, a place where he spent much time around the world during his fruitful life.

We watched the clouds pass over and the moon rise as we sat on the beach waiting for the volunteer patrol to finish walking the beach. As we were about to head out, a green turtle came in to nest. We waited patiently for her to find her spot to nest and dig out her body pit. Once she started laying eggs, we approached quietly from behind to observe.

Green turtle nesting at Guanahacabibes

Cabins at La Bajada

She was a pretty big one, measuring more than 3 feet in length and laying more than 100 eggs. This specific turtle had strange patches on her shell, flaking off in an oval shape on some of the scutes, something Dr. Azanza had never before seen. We stayed until she began to camouflage the nest, which turtles do to hide the location and then headed back to our cabins for some sleep after the long day.

The next day, I went with a couple of our other travelers with a local guide to explore the coral reef in Guanahacabibes National Park. We discussed the notable absence of fish, the coral bleaching, and other environmental issues that this park and the ocean in general are facing. That night, we again visited the beach and it wasn’t long before the beach got very busy. One after the other, five green turtles emerged from the water in a short area. This time our group got the opportunity to participate hands on with the students, helping to measure the turtles and count the eggs as they dropped.

Turtle returning to the water, photo Rachel Gamber

As we were wrapping up that work, two students returned from walking the beach and said they saw tracks of hatchlings heading to the water, which meant a nest had hatched that they were not expecting. The group moved quickly to find the researchers and Dr. Julia was digging up the nest to see if any remained. Unfortunately we missed them as all of the eggs had already hatched and walked to the water (which is a rare thing). I walked to the edge of the water to make sure none had been caught in debris and while I was separated from the group, I saw many people start hurrying back towards the camp. There we found the researchers with 25 newly hatched baby turtles, collecting data on each of them. One interesting thing they are finding on this beach is that some of the scutes on the hatchlings were abnormally shaped, with more scutes on one side than the other. Hatchlings shells are normally symmetrical so this is a new and potentially scary development.

On Wednesday, we rested from the long night, sleeping in as we got back to our cabins around 2 am. After breakfast in our cabins, we met a local guide to learn more about the birds of Cuba, including the world’s smallest bird, the bee hummingbird, as well as the national bird, the Cuban Trogon, and got to see one in the wild. That was followed by another snorkeling excursion with our local guide in front of our cabins. We also visited a beautiful viewpoint of this unique stretch of coast.

Cuban trogon

Dinner with our hosts was followed by one of the most fun experiences I’ve had while traveling. Our host Yusniel broke out a guitar and started playing traditional and popular songs for us to sing a long with. The family and neighbors came over to play games including dominoes, a local staple, along with games that our group brought like Uno. We hung out and sang and danced and played deep into the evening.

The next day, we boarded our bus for the ride back to Viñales. Once we arrived, we had lunch at a fun local Cuban-Italian restaurant and then headed to take a horseback riding trip through the valley with local guides to learn about the history, culture, and nature of the area. We discussed what crops people grow to survive and what life on a typical farm is like. We also visited a handicraft market from local artisans which had some very beautiful examples of woodwork, jewelry, etc. Unfortunately many of the tables we saw were selling illegal tortoiseshell, made from the shell of critically endangered hawksbill turtles.

On Friday, we hopped on our bus after breakfast with our local hosts and headed back to Havana, about a four hour drive due to the poor roads. After a bit of downtime at our hotel to rest up, we ate at a private restaurant near our hotel. In the evening, we visited a really unique thing in Havana, the Cuban Art Factory. Once a building where cooking oil was made, it was converted by artists to a night club and art museum at once. We at ate Cocinero with a friend who works with sea turtles which overlooked the factory, a really fabulous meal of local dishes. Then we met some of the rest of the group and wandered the factory. I met a local photographer representing a group whose work was being displayed. I purchased a couple of very beautiful photos from them. A local dancer was teaching some steps, followed by an amazing group called the Rumba Allstars, who played incredible Afro-Cuban music accompanied by beautiful traditional dancers.

Rumba All Stars at the Fabrica de Arte

One of our group dancing with a dancer at Buena Vista Social Club

Our final day we had breakfast and did a drove around the city, talking to local guides about the history of American and Cuban relations and politics. We also visited local art galleries and had lunch in another nearby restaurant called Donde Lis, a leader in her community who during the pandemic helped to feed many residents who had little opportunity for food from the government. Our final cultural activity was visiting the historic Buena Vista Social Club. There, we saw many great artists and dancers and different styles of local music. The dancers brought people up onto the stage and taught some steps and was great at involving the audience.

This was truly one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. So many unique experiences and great people. Hopefully our visit was able to help some of the people here who are struggling from the food shortages, electricity blackouts, and challenges with both the US and Cuban governments.

July Billion Baby Turtles Update

It’s been a busy time! This trimester we have given a total of US $67,000 in 17 grants, with 4 new partners.

With a total of US $90,000 so far, our grants for this first half of the year expect to help around 336,343 baby turtles to get to the ocean. Here are the grants we have provided over the past three months.

Yayasan Penyu Laut Indonesia /Indonesia Sea Turtle Foundation, Pesemut Island, Indonesia

Since 1999 ISTF has done nesting beach conservation and eggs protection for critically endangered hawksbills as well as green turtles at Presemut Island in Indonesia. Most of the work is focused on preventing illegal nest collection and predation. Last season YPLI were able to protect 838 nests of hawksbill and 716 of  green turtles. This year Billion Baby Turtles is supporting this project with US$ 4,000 and expects to help more than 57,000 baby hawksbill and green turtles to get into the ocean.

Sea Turtle Conservancy

Bastimentos National Park, Panama

After more than 20 years of sea turtle research in Bocas del Toro Province, Drs. Anne and Peter Meylan formed a partnership with STC in 2003 to monitor increasing nesting hawksbills along the Bocas coast (covering ~50 km of beach in recent years). The area of concentrated work by the Meylans has been three important nesting beaches: Small Zapatilla Cay, Big Zapatilla Cay (both since 2003), and Playa Larga (since 2006), all of which lie completely within the boundaries of the Bastimentos Island National Marine Park (BINMP). Nighttime patrols are also carried out to intercept and tag nesting females on these beaches. Both activities are conducted by beach monitors hired from local native communities with help during most years from international student volunteers; all are trained by the PI’s or by experienced field coordinators. In the last 8 years and thanks to the protection of the area, the number of nests have been increasing from 688 in 2014 to more than 1,200 last season. With US $5,000, Billion Baby Turtles supported the protection of more than 16,000 baby hawksbills. 

Soropta Beach, Panama 

This project is to address on-going threats facing the leatherback population at Soropta Beach, Panama, while carrying out an in-situ research and recovery program. The 14-km Beach hosts between 200 – 1,200 leatherback nests per year, making it one of the most densely nested beaches for this species in the region. Unfortunately, illegal hunting of leatherback nests remains an issue at Soropta, due to its isolated location, relative ease of access and cultural tradition of sea turtle egg and meat consumption in the area. STC is implementing a two-pronged approach to curtail illegal egg taking: implementing a hatchery and directly housing law enforcement personnel at STC’s Biological Research Station. For this season Billion Baby Turtles support this project with US $4,000 helping to get into the big blue at least 1,600 baby leatherbacks. Plus supplementary income with one of our conservation trips to this station. 

Leatherback turtle at Soropta Beach, credit SEE Turtles

Ocean Foundation: Guanahacabibes National Park 

Eight beaches are patrolled during the nesting and hatchling seasons (May to October) in Guanahacabibes Peninsula. As for green turtle nesting population, it is the second largest of the archipelago and also exhibits high levels of hatching success. Billion Baby Turtles support this organization with US $4,000 for this season, helping approximately 7,000 baby turtles to get to the big blue.

Everlasting Nature,  Kimar Island, Indonesia   

This organization in Kimar Island,Indonesia, helps protect hawksbill turtles and the recovery of this population. This island used to have a big problem with illegal taking of nests, this is the main reason for the establishment of this project. Everlasting Nature hires local people as “eggs guardians”, walking the beach every morning and collecting nesting data. They conduct this this project with Indonesia Sea Turtle Research Foundation (Yayasan Penyu Laut Indonesia/ YPLI) as partner. This is a very important area for the endangered hawksbill turtles, they protect around 700 nests per season. They also have few green turtle nests on this island. Our Billion Baby Turtle program supported them with US$ 5,000 for this season and hope they can protect more than 35,000 baby turtles. 

ProNatura Yucatán, Mexico

ProNatura Yucatan safeguards 3 of the Yucatan Peninsula's most vital nesting beaches, including Celestun and Holbox, which are key hawksbill nesting sites. The field season spans from early April to late October, during which the team surveys 79 km nightly to document female turtles and nests. They also conduct educational visits to local schools. Last season, the 3 beaches saw a total of 3,229 hawksbill nests, 4,331 green turtle nests, and 5 leatherback nests. Due to loss of US government financial support, we were able to get US $10,000 extra in funding this season. The Billion Baby Turtles initiative aims to support over 33,000 more hatchlings reaching the ocean.

Hawksbill turtle nesting at El Cuyo

Latin America Sea Turtles (LAST): Cahuita & Moin Beaches, Costa Rica 

Pacuare North

The Caribbean shoreline is also one of the most important nesting locations for leatherback and green turtles. The beach of Pacuare north, counts between 300-500 leatherback nests and 100-150 green turtle nests in a regular season. Local protection in Pacuare is crucial and also benefits sea turtle conservation programs in neighboring countries as it aims at the same turtle population. Pacuare beach also registers between 5-15 nests each season of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle. Without any protection efforts whatsoever, many nests and even adult turtles would be lost for illegal practices that are still common in this area. Billion Baby Turtles supported this project with US $4,000 and hope to help at more than 700 baby turtles to get to the ocean

Cahuita

Since 2000 ANAI and LAST nonprofit organizations have worked for the protection and conservation of nesting hawksbill and green females and baby sea turtles in Cahuita Beach. During the last decade it was estimated that 90% of the nests at this beach were lost by wildlife predation, illegal egg collectors, or washed out by the ocean. Cahuita’s nest population represents one of the highest numbers reported for Caribbean hawksbill turtles in Costa Rica. For this season, through our Billion Baby Turtles program supported this project with US$ 3,500 to help more than 3,500 baby turtles.

Ecosystem Impact, Bangkaru Island, Indonesia

This non-profit organization works in Bankaru Islands protecting especially green turtles and sporadic nesting leatherbacks. In addition to the protection of nesting turtles, Ecosystem Impact develops law enforcement capacity, campaign and advocacy work, community awareness, rangers training and social media education, all of these programs have as a goal the increase of global awareness of the conservation of marine turtles and other wild species included in the Bangkaru Project. They work with community rangers and campaigns in all the local communities surrounding the project. With US$ 5,000 our Billion Baby Turtles program supported Ecosystem Impact for this upcoming season, expecting to protect more than 5,600 baby turtles to get to the ocean. 

Researchers measuring a leatherback turtle. Photo: Ecosystem Bumi

Ayotlcalli, Ixtapa, Mexico

Campamento Tortuguero Ayotlcalli was founded in September of 2011 with the purpose of protecting and help increase the population of three species of marine turtles that nest within 15 kilometers of beaches that include Playa Blanca, Playa Larga and Barra de Potosi in Zihuatanejo. This year, this program won the Grassroot award during the 42 International Sea Turtle Symposium!! Congratulations to Damari and all her team for the great work they are doing! Billion Baby Turtles supported Ayotlcalli with US$ 2,500, helping to protect the 3 different species that nest on these beaches (olive ridleys, leatherbacks and black turtles) and more than 8,000 baby turtles.

SOS Nicaragua, Los Brasiles, Nicaragua 2,000

Since 2019, Sos Nicaragua has been independently implementing conservation efforts on the island of Los Brasiles, starting a permanent sea turtle protection programme that extends to all recorded nesting species. They have developed a conservation model in harmony with turtle egg harvesters, raising local awareness, protecting critical sea turtle habitats and generating new sources of financial sustainability for local families in long-term project goals. The average number of nests protected annually usually exceeds 100, mostly nests of ridley turtles. Billion Baby Turtles has been supporting this project  since 2017, this year with US $2,000 we hope to help almost 2,000 baby turtles. 

New Billion Baby Turtles Partners 

Bahari Hai, Watamu, Kenya

The 5km Watamu Marine Protected Area beach has had long-term, intensive monitoring & protection as an index nesting beach. However, outside of this Marine Park there has been significantly illegally taken and increased threats to nesting sea turtles. These unprotected sites have great potential. The team have identified 7 nesting beaches over a 30km area that want to validate for longer-term nest monitoring & protection. With US $2,000 we supported Bahari Hai to explore those understudied beaches along with an additional $1,000 donation through our upcoming Kenya Coast & Safari trip.

Green turtle nesting at Watamu Beach. Photo: Bahari Hai

The Leatherback Project, Guna Yala, Panama

The Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Nesting Ecology Project at Armila Beach, Guna Yala, Panama, focuses on the study and conservation of this vulnerable species. This project addresses two significant threats impacting the nesting ecology of the leatherback sea turtle at Armila Beach: coastal erosion and plastic debris pollution. Coastal erosion caused by natural processes reduces suitable nesting areas, jeopardizing hatchling survival. Plastic pollution poses a serious threat to the health of the turtles and their environment. Addressing these threats is important to ensure the conservation of this species.  With US $3,000 we expect to help to protect more than 3,000 baby leatherbacks. 

Costa Rican Alliance for Sea Turtle Conservation & Science, Playa Gandoca, Costa Rica

COASTS is on a mission to prevent the extinction of sea turtles and protect their natural habitat through scientific research, data-driven conservation actions, habitat restoration, and environmental education. This is a passionate and dedicated team of local assistants, scientists, students, conservationists, citizen scientists, and volunteers. From March until October, this project conducts nightly beach patrols to encounter nesting females (primarily leatherbacks and hawksbill). From November until January, they conduct morning surveys to take care of the remaining incubating nests and to continue to do nest inventories, once they hatch. The goal is to monitor the three nesting populations long-term and to protect the females and their eggs from illegal harvest and beach erosion. We supported this project for the first year with US $3,000 for this upcoming season.

Salvemos Isla Ixtapa, Isla Carey, Guerrero, Mexico

This project started in 2011 and its mission is to protect and conserve sea turtle nests, primarily hawksbill turtles, as it is currently the most important nesting site in the Mexican Pacific. They also conduct environmental education talks and workshops for the general public and schools that visit us on the island. With US $1,000 we hope to help more than 3,000 baby hawksbills to get to the ocean. 

Barreros de San Luis, Guerrero, Mexico

Our new partner:  Barreros de San Luis, located in the municipality of Técpan de Galeana in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, is made up of more than 40 local people who support the protection and conservation of sea turtles. They protect the critically endangered pacific leatherback, and also the vulnerable green (locally known as black turtle) and olive ridley sea turtles. The main threat in this area is illegal hunting of eggs and adult turtles. For almost 10 years they have protected 90% of leatherback turtle nests in their hatchery and the rest are protected both: in situ and in the hatchery. With the efforts of all collaborators and with good management practices, more than 80% of hatching success in the 3 species has been achieved. They may protect up to 3,500 nests of olive ridleys, 150 nests of leatherbacks and 50 nests of black turtles. With US $5,000, we expect to help them protect around 62,500 baby turtles. 

Los Quelonios, Guerrero, Mexico

Another new partner this month, is Chelonios, located in the town of Playa Ventura in the municipality of Copala, Guerrero, Mexico, in which 15 people belonging to the Afro-descendant community participate and dedicated to the protection and conservation of the 3 species of sea turtles that nest on this beach. For almost 15 years they have protected more than 80% of olive ridley turtles and more than 90% of leatherback and black turtle nests. Unfortunately, this community continues to face the illegal taking of nests and the killing of adult turtles by people from surrounding communities who sell eggs, meat and other derivatives such as turtle blood and oil for consumption. Additionally, there are a large number of dogs on this beach, which prey on the nests, hatchlings and can considerably injure some adult nesting turtles. Billion Baby Turtles is supporting this project with US $4,000, and expects to help almost 40,000 baby turtles to get to the ocean.

Galapagos, Kingdom of Reptiles Part III: Isabela & Santa Cruz

Part 1: Pre-Trip Adventures

Part 2: San Cristobal

Our short flight to Isabela took longer to check our bags than the duration of the flight. But as we landed, we were treated to a rare overhead view of the dried lava fields of this extraordinary island. After dropping our stuff at our hotel, we boarded our boat to head for the one hour journey to Tuneles, one of the most extraordinary locations on the islands.

The water conditions were a bit rougher than normal and the tide was high but our captain felt the entry was safe so we made our way to the entrance. This otherworldly land and seascape was only recently opened to travelers, previously it was a fishing spot but now fishermen have been hired to bring people to this special place. As we enter the area, we marvel at a small rock outcropping full of Galapagos penguins & blue footed boobies. The lava tunnels offer a view down into the water as turtles and fish pass by while blue footed boobies perch next to giant cacti.

After a short walk to take this place in, we enjoyed lunch on our boat and then headed to nearby El Finado for snorkeling. With the high tide, the first area we moved through had low visibility but we were still able to see several turtles (one nestled in some mangrove roots), as well as black tip reef sharks and a group of five spotted eagle rays. But as we passed through the mangrove, the water became much clearer and more green turtles came into view with every turn around the area. We were also treated to a group of white tip reef sharks hiding out in a cave.

The next morning, we headed away from the water to hike up to the crater of the Sierra Negra volcano, one of five active volcanoes on the island and the largest. Cool misty clouds greeted us as we got off the bus and started uphill. We were treated to several sightings of vermillion flycatchers, a brilliant red bird. As we got to the viewpoint, the dense clouds blocked our view of the crater but Pablo regaled us with stories of past eruptions.

Tortoise at Campo Duro

Plants our group planted to feed future tortoises at Campo Duro

On the way down, we stopped at Campo Duro, an agrotourism project that is participating in a tortoise reintroduction program. Our group had a wonderful lunch with food grown on the farm and then helped to plant tubers to feed the next group of tortoises that come through from the national park as they transition to the wild from the breeding center. We visited two adult tortoises that were not releasable live here and then took a tour of this unique farm.

On our final full day on Isabela, we split our time between land and sea. First, we explored the nearby mangrove estuary. Among the birds and mangroves, we saw a wild tortoise munching on plants; the local population is part of the reintroduction program helping to bring this species back. We also saw a couple of incredible marine iguanas lounging on the road, peeked into a lava tunnel, and heard stories of local history. That afternoon, we hopped on sit-on-top kayaks to explore the islands around Tintoreras across from the town. A gentle paddle offered a unique view of these islands and we spotted more penguins, boobies, and turtles along the way.

Feeding tortoise

Marine reptile posing

Before we caught our ferry to Santa Cruz, we headed to explore Tintoreras by foot and snorkel. First we took a short walk on one of the islands to learn about the marine iguanas nesting here and the lava formations of the island. As we walked to an overlook over a narrow shallow channel, we spotted a couple of white tip reef sharks (who the area is named after) lounging on the bottom (apparently not all sharks need to swim continuously). A curious sea lion came barreling into the far end of the channel heading straight for the sharks. He nipped at the sharks, sending them into a tizzy and then zipped back off, apparently just messing with them for fun! Our excursion ended with our final snorkel. Our first treat there was a seahorse, hanging tight to a drowned branch. That was followed by a bunch more sea turtles as we made our way around the island, the perfect way to end our stay on Isabela.

White tip reef shark

That afternoon, we caught the ferry to Santa Cruz Island, the most populous of the islands, for a two-hour ride. We had a bit of free time to explore before dinner and then met up for the nicest dinner of the trip at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the water. On our last morning, we took a tour of the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about the organization’s efforts to restore the island’s tortoise populations. We got our first view of the unique saddleback tortoises with their interesting carapaces, along with many hatchlings. We also paid homage to the resting place of Lonesome George, the last known individual of the Pinta Island sub-species, the most famous Galapagos tortoise.

As we headed off in our different directions home or on further travels, we shared stories of our favorite parts of the trip. Over the week, we saw dozens of sea turtles, hundreds of sea lions, wild and human-bred tortoises, many species of birds, along with sharks, iguanas, rays, and many other animals. Our appreciation for the unique forces that created this wildlife paradise and the efforts it takes to protect it only grew as we traveled.

Learn more: Galapagos Turtles & Tortoises Conservation Trip

Galapagos, Kingdom of Reptiles Part II: San Cristobal

Be sure to read Part 1:Pre-Trip Adventures here first.

Our Galapagos Turtles & Tortoises group arrives a day later, a bit groggy from the early flight from Quito but excited to reach this dream destination. We meet our guide Pablo from Galakiwi and immediately we are taken in by his passion for this incredible place. After a delicious buffet lunch and time to rest at our rooms, we take a short ride to the national park interpretive center, walking through the volcanic landscape surrounded by giant cacti, Palo Santo trees, and lava rock.

Pablo takes us on a mesmerizing journey, explaining the natural forces that make these islands so special: the volcanoes that birth the islands as tectonic plates shift and the currents coming from both the north and south – an effect of being located on the equator. These currents brought much of the life that can be found now on the islands, often stowaways on debris floating from the mainland or long flights from the mainland. Due to these factors, the islands have a high degree of endemism (plants and animals that can only be found here) but not a wide variety of biodiversity (the number of different species that inhabit the islands).

Lookout at the top of Frigatebird Hill

View of Darwin Bay

From there, we head up over Frigatebird Hill (Tijeretas) to get a view of the town and Darwin Bay below. We put on our wetsuits (the water was a bit chilly but not too frigid), and carefully made our way around the sea lions occupying the stairs into the bay to head out for our first group snorkel. Winding our way around the bay, we saw a couple of turtles and sea lions swam around us. Finally, we headed back to town, walking along paths through the forest and past Carola Beach, where we caught the last of a beautiful sunset.

Our group’s first full day started with a visit to USFQ to learn about the research of Juan Pablo and Daniela and for a lesson on sea turtle identification, using an online database called Internet of Turtles. We learned about some of the fascinating aspects of sea turtles around the islands, such as orca’s being one of their primary predators, seen in few other places worldwide. Juan Pablo also talked about his research on plastic pollution washing ashore, likely from international fishing boats outside of the marine reserve, as the islands have strong plastic recycling and reduction programs. We also learned about the two types of green turtles living around the islands, the black turtle, a sub-species of green turtle, and what is locally called the yellow turtle or Indo-Pacific green turtle, which are the greens that you can find around the world.

Black turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizi)

Indo-Pacific green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

That afternoon, we returned to Loberia Beach with our group for a snorkel and a coastal walk. A local scouts group joined us for a short beach cleanup activity, a fun way to get to know some of the members of this community. At Loberia, we saw several green turtles, capturing some great images to be able to identify these turtles and several species of fish. Dinner that night was at a great restaurant called Umami located next to the incredible sea lion beach.

Our group next spent a day inland, heading up into the highlands of Santa Cruz to visit El Junco, the only freshwater lake in the islands. After a hike up a steep hill to the crater, we learned about the geology of the island and how the waters impact the community below. Next we headed down to the Galapaguera for our first meeting with the incredible tortoises that these islands are named after.

The hike up to El Junco

Captive reared tortoise at the Galapaguera Breeding Center

This breeding facility helps to repopulate the island’s San Cristobal tortoise population. We strolled through the lowland forest and saw the hatchlings and young turtles in enclosures with many larger tortoises wandering the grounds, growing there for several years before being released into the wild. We then stopped for lunch at a great family restaurant with a tremendous view of the island. We were fed with food grown on this beautiful farm, trying several new dishes and learning about farming in such a unique place.

We saved the best for the last day on San Cristobal, heading out early this today to take the boat ride to Kicker Rock (also known as Leon Dormido for its shape of a sleeping lion). The hour long boat ride on a lovely catamaran was relaxing as we spotted manta rays jumping in the distance. We pulled up along the island and did a circumnavigation on the boat, spotting blue footed and Nazca boobies and learning how this rock was formed.

View of Kicker Rock (aka Leon Dormido)

Black turtle at Kicker Rock

We then donned our wetsuits and hopped in the water, snorkeling along the wall which was speckled with coral and colorful fish. Within a few minutes, we spotted our first black turtle swimming by. As we rounded the end of the rock, more turtles came into view. And then more turtles, at least 10 hanging around the spot. Capturing as many as we could for photo ID, we lingered at this spot as long as we could, marveling in the moment. We rounded the rock to enter the canal between the front part of the rock and the main part, spotting a few black tip reef sharks and sea lions. Passing through the channel seemed to be the hotspot for spotted eagle rays, gliding back and forth underneath us like graceful shadows.

The euphoria on everyone’s face as we left the water was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I love seeing turtles, but I might love seeing the joy they bring to others even more. The boat then took us over to Manglecito, a small bay and beach with mangroves, to eat lunch on the boat and then explore the area.

Part of the group took a boat ashore to walk on the beach and another group hopped in the water to look for more turtles (guess which group I joined?). The water was a bit more clear and much warmer in this shallow area and it didn’t take long at all to find more turtles, these being greens, feeding on algae along the rocky shallows. Again, one turned into three, into eight, ending up with at least another dozen turtles added to our list.

These turtles are so relaxed around people, the result of decades of protections here. They just chomp away or swim casually by, definitely not the norm for where our trips go, mostly places where there is still significant illegal hunting. To cap off the incredible day, I hear our trusty guide assistant Sebastian calling, alerting us to our first swimming marine iguana (we had seen many but not in the water). Returning to town, after a shower and down time, we had a change of pace for dinner, eating a delicious Italian meal at Guiseppe’s, one of the best restaurants in town, to celebrate the incredible day. We went to bed early tonight to rest up for our early flight to our next stop, Isabela Island.

Learn more:

• Check out Part III: Isabela & Santa Cruz

• Galapagos Turtles & Tortoises Conservation Trip

Galapagos, Kingdom of Reptiles: Part 1: Pre-Trip Adventures

I’ve seen many turtles in the water and on the beach in my career. I’ve seen loggerhead turtles fight with fish for lobster heads and leatherback turtles go the wrong way up a freshwater creek. I’ve seen mating and feeding from above and nesting close up. But I’ve never seen anything like what I saw at Loberia Beach on one of our first days in the incomparable Galapagos Islands – a sea lion playing with a turtle like it was its toy.

My partner and I arrived a few days early to explore San Cristobal before the group coming on our Galapagos Turtles & Tortoises trip arrived to get to know the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and ease into the trip. This was my first time to this island, our previous trip only visited the islands of Isabela and Santa Cruz. Upon arrival, we made our way to the home of my friend Juan Pablo Muñoz and Daniela Alarcon, marine biologists working at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, an Ecuadorean university that has a research station on the island.

We were cashing in a week-long visit I won through an auction at the International Sea Turtle Symposium to raise funds for student participation. Their tiny home was a wonderful way to spend the week. Nestled in a wooded area in town, it was a peaceful oasis from which to explore. Our first night in town was out with Juan Pablo and Daniela for a fantastic meal and then a stroll to see a beach where sea lions spend the night. I also had a chance to meet with Tim and Crystal, the owners of Galakiwi (Tim is from New Zealand) to learn more about how this company got started and to explore how we can collaborate with them as they expand their support for the Galapagos community.

Now, I’ve seen quite a few sea lions, on the Oregon coast (even up to Portland where I live), San Francisco, Baja Mexico, Islabela and Santa Cruz islands, and more. Even on the way to dinner was a beach with dozens of them sleeping. But nothing prepared us for the intensity of that beach. Hundreds of sea lions, big and small, a mass of unbelievable size, sound, and yes, smell (though not enough to be a deterrent).  Babies calling out for their mothers, mothers grunting at babies not their own trying to nurse, juveniles crawling over each other, some still in the water getting in a bit more playtime before bed.

Galapagos may be a paradise for reptiles like turtles but San Cristobal Island is truly a sea lion heaven. They take over the malecon (waterside walkway), sleeping in the middle of the tourists, researchers, and locals strolling along. They take over idle boats and benches and sit next to you at restaurants or hang out with the kids in the waterside playground. On land, they are plodding and awkward, loud and testy. In the water? Acrobats moving with the grace of a Cirque de Soleil performance, bending themselves in half to circle around, leaping out of the water, darting around with astonishing speed, or chasing each other around.

On the day before the group arrived, we made the short drive and trek to Loberia, a bit outside of town. As intense waves struck the coastline, we walked down a short path to a little protected bay. Putting on our gear, we waded into the water and headed out to look for what we could find. We saw several species of fish including very large rainbow parrotfish and then came across our first turtles. Two female green turtles rested on the bottom, one of them one of the largest greens I’ve seen. We circled above them and I freedove down a bit to try to capture their faces for photo identification. A third juvenile green passed by, a fresh metal tag visible on its flipper.

From there, we headed over to observe two very playful sea lions, dancing around each other and trying to play bite each other. They are one of the ocean’s most graceful animals and taking in their dance is an experience everyone should have to witness. One then broke off and swam away and the other, still feeling playful, approached me and swam around me in circles, trying to initiate some play. I awkwardly try to reciprocate but the sea lion seems to get bored with me and swims away, unimpressed with my water ballet skill.

We head back to watch the turtles again, quickly finding them in the same spots. While there, one of the sea lions comes by and starts playing with one of the other snorkelers. When one of the green turtles starts to swim upwards to catch its breath, the sea lion sees a new playmate and swims over to it, spinning around the turtle. The turtle did not seem to appreciate this game, turning its shell to the sea lion’s mouth as it does for predators like sharks. The turtle gets a reprieve as the sea lion swims away, only to quickly return and take another spin around the turtle. Sea lions have serious “little brother energy.”

Learn more:

• Read Part II: San Cristobal here.

• Galapagos Turtles & Tortoises Conservation Trip

Kenya Exploration Part 3: Overland Safari

Check out Part 1 & Part 2 of our Kenya Adventure.

Our guide from Albatros Travel met us early the next day and we set off on a three hour drive west towards Kenya’s largest national park, Tsavo West, at more than 11,000 square kilometers (more than 4,200 square miles). Entering the park, we immediately saw one of the country’s many species of antelope. We had a few sitings of gazelle, hartebeasts, and zebras as we made our way through the park and then as we neared our destination for the night, Satao Camp, we came across a large watering hole with several groups of elephants playing in the water.

The camp consists of a number of large tents (really cabins with canvas walls and stone floors and thatched roofs) facing a watering hole. Upon arrival, we headed for a delicious buffet lunch where we were joined by several species of birds vying for crumbs and scraps including the very entertaining hornbills and vulture guinea fowl. Sykes monkeys also lingered about and a large group of impala were spread throughout the camp, while a group of mongoose were spotted in the camp in the morning.

Elephant in Tsavo West

Impala outside the window of our tent

We digested on our tent porch watching animals visit the hole including an elephant and a group of baboons. Occasionally we heard the bellows and grunts of the watering holes’ resident hippos though we were not to catch one this day. We headed out for our second game drive of the day, finding our first giraffe and many species of birds including ostrich, storks, kori bustards, and brown snake eagles. After another great meal, Dan and I settled in front of the fire for a sundowner and reflection on a fabulous first day of our safari.

On day 2, we headed out for another game drive at Tsavo East and then headed further west to the Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary, where we stayed at the incredible Cheetah Camp, overlooking a gigantic expanse of Tsavo West National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro (though clouds obscured that view this day). The view from the restaurant and rooms was one of the best I’ve ever seen, only surpassed by the incredible food and service at the camp, by far the best we ate on the entire journey.

After a break, we headed out late afternoon for a game drive through this sanctuary run by the local community, famous for its big cats including lions, cheetahs, and leopards. Shortly into our drive, we spotted a group of safari vehicles stopped on a side road. They were watching a pair of lionesses from a respectable distance and we stopped alongside to catch glimpses of their black ears as they peeked over the grasses. From there, we headed to the aptly named Lion Rock, a prominent overlook popular with these big cats as lookouts for their hunts. Sure enough, another female was resting atop the rock, her tawny fur lit up in the fading sun. We watched as she hung out and then walked around a bit before heading over the rock out of view. There we also spotted a pair of rock hyrax, a surprising close relative of the elephant though it looked more rodent than pachyderm.

Lion in Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary

Cheetah Tent Camp

Following a stellar breakfast, we headed out for a morning game drive and then headed on a short drive through Tsavo West on the way to our next destination, Severin Camp, located inside the park. Animals were more challenging to find in the park’s dense green vegetation, a start contrast to the dry brown grasses and red mud of Tsavo East. We arrived to the camp to find a group of very active yellow weavers building nests in a small open space by the restaurant. Each tent in this camp has a watering hole, making very personal viewing of wildlife.

The highlight of the afternoon highlight was a visit to Mzima Springs, one of the few opportunities to get out of the vehicle and walk around. We followed a group down a stone path to a fenced overlook of the springs to spot a Nile crocodile bathing in the water flow of the creek along with a bunch of hippos. It was hard to imagine that the languid hippos floating about are probably the most dangerous animal around but the key is to avoid their territory and everyone will be happy. The tour group left and we had the spot to ourselves to observe the hippos in the late afternoon light and breathe in the fresh humid air. A mother and baby sykes monkey paid a visit as we left. We were also treated to a great siting of two beautiful black backed jackals.

Hippo at Mzima Springs

Giraffe at Tsavo East National Park

After breakfast, we explored the park’s volcanic landscape with past lava flows and many cones dotting the view in all directions. We then headed for the two-hour drive to our final safari camp, Elerai Camp, the closest to Kilimanjaro, the dominating volcano just across the border in Tanzania. At about 4,500 feet, the air was at the camp was a bit cooler and more crisp and the lodge reflected a more mountain feel with a fireplace. The luxurious tents are situated to face the mountain for the best views, though so far the clouds had obscured the view. The camp’s pool and restaurant overlook a watering hole which was visited by an elephant that late afternoon.

Instead of an afternoon game drive, we opted to take a short bush walk with a local Masai guide. Setting out from the camp with guardians both in front and back to ensure safety, we took a loop through the vegetation to learn how this extraordinarily productive ecosystem works. We saw a termite mound to learn how many animals depend on these insects as well as how elephants dominate the landscape by breaking tree branches and carving out their paths to watering holes. One of the most interesting parts of the tour was learning about the traditional medicinal plants used for centuries by Masai tribes in the region as well as a bit of an unexpected astronomy lesson.

As we walked through the grass, we were finally treated to the incredible view of Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in the area at more than 19,000 feet elevation. Dan reminisced about his poorly planned but still pretty incredible ascent of the mountain forty years prior. Despite a lack of equipment or knowledgeable guide, his group of 3 made it up and back in 5 days.

View of Kilimanjaro from Eleria Tent Camp

Elephant in Amboseli National Park

Our last day of safari ended at the extraordinary Amboseli National Park, one of the country’s smallest but most densely populated with wildlife. The park’s varied landscape including savannah, lakes, and wetlands provides habitat for many species and the wide open views make for great wildlife watching. Shortly after entering the park, we were treated to a fascinating visit of a large bull elephant visiting a troop of adult female and juvenile elephants. After checking out the females, the solitary male decided to part ways and keep searching for a new troop to visit.

On the game drive that day, we saw several animals we hadn’t seen elsewhere, including spotted hyenas, the beautiful crested crane, and the African fish eagle, along with a couple more hippos (out of the water this time), many cape buffalo, and many species of birds. After a picnic lunch, we visited a small traditional Masai village just outside the park. Our guide showed us a traditional dance, took us on a tour of the village and spoke about their traditional medicine, and shared their beautiful crafts.

From there, Dan and I headed back to Nairobi, arriving in time for dinner and rest before we left this magical country. Over the two weeks, we visited six of our local partners in seven coastal communities, learning about how sea turtle conservation and community development works in this West African country. Our safari took us to four camps in four nights, spotting more than 20 species of mammals, well more than 30 species of birds, and others. We were inspired by all of the community groups we met working hard to restore the country’s coastal habitats. We learned about the cultures of several of Kenya’s tribes and the history of this fascinating country.

We can’t wait to offer this unique exploration of Kenya in February 2026. Expect a slower pace than we took with multiple nights at each stop, visiting three coastal communities and three camps over two weeks. This trip will inspire awe, add to your wildlife bucket list, and generate tremendous support for our partners, their local collaborators, and for conservation efforts.

Billion Baby Turtles Update - April 2025

This new year we are very excited because we can continue supporting most of our current partners and some new projects coming soon. In addition, we expect to pass the 20 million baby turtles saved milestone this year, stay tuned for an announcement coming soon! 

With a total of US $23,000, our grants for the first quarter of this year we expect to help save an estimated 57,000  baby turtles. Our first 2025 grants are:

PAMALi, Indonesia

PAMaLi Indonesia is a nonprofit organization focused on sea turtle conservation. Their nest protection program on Denawan Island uses both in situ and hatchery methods. Nests at high risk of disturbance from humans or animals (e.g., poaching, shell trade, sand mining, bycatch, plastic pollution) or natural threats (e.g., marine debris, beach erosion, predators) are relocated to the hatchery. All hawksbill nests are relocated due to their vulnerability. For green turtles, 60% of nests are in situ and 40% are ex situ. With $5,000 in funding this year, the program aims to help almost 20,000 baby turtles reach the ocean.

Photos: PAMALi

Equipo Tora Carey, El Jobo, Costa Rica

Established in 2015, Equipo Tora Carey (ETC) is a successful collaboration between fishermen, local tourism operators, and biologists working to protect sea turtles near Punta Descartes. Despite facing numerous challenges over the years, ETC's commitment to marine turtle conservation remains strong. Currently, local residents patrol five different beaches nightly, safeguarding approximately 250 olive ridley, black, and sporadic hawksbill nests. SEETurtles has partnered with ETC since 2018, and this season, Billion Baby Turtles has granted US $2,000 to encourage the community's ongoing dedication to turtle conservation.

ProNatura, Yucatán, Mexico

ProNatura safeguards 3 of the Yucatan Peninsula's most vital nesting beaches, including Celestun and Holbox, which are key hawksbill nesting sites. The field season spans from early April to late October, during which the team surveys 79 km nightly to document female turtles and nests. They also conduct educational visits to local schools. Last season, the 3 beaches saw a total of 3,229 hawksbill nests, 4,331 green turtle nests, and 5 leatherback nests. With US $7,000 in funding this season, the Billion Baby Turtles initiative aims to support over 20,000 hatchlings reaching the ocean.

Turtle Love Project, Playa Tres, Costa Rica

Playa Tres, the second most important nesting beach for green turtles in Costa Rica, is also home to leatherback and hawksbill turtle nesting. A conservation project run by Turtle Love protects these nests. Between March and October 2024, the Turtle Love team patrolled the beach and protected 768 green turtle nests, 68 leatherback nests, and 5 hawksbill nests. Due to the team's work, the illegal taking of nests has been reduced from 31% in 2022 to an average of 13% in 2023-2024 for both protected species. The US $4,000 Billion Baby Turtles plan will support the protection of almost 15,000 baby turtles through this partner.

Provita, Paria Gulf, Venezuela

For almost two decades, Provita has partnered with Clemente Balladares' leadership to protect marine turtles in Venezuela, with a focus on the critically endangered hawksbill turtle. During the 2024 season, Provita safeguarded 105 hawksbill and 10 leatherback nests, maintaining illegal nest collection below 7%, which is the primary threat in the region. Billion Baby Turtles' contribution of US $4,000 supported this project, and this support is expected to enable the protection of over 1,000 critically endangered hawksbill hatchlings in the upcoming season.

Photos: Clemente Balladares

Mexiquillo, Michoacán, Mexico.

Mexiquillo beach was once a vital nesting site for leatherback turtles in Mexico and the Pacific basin during the 1980’s. However, the leatherback population has drastically declined since then. In the current 2024-2025 season, 65 leatherback nests have been protected. SEETurtles aims to support a successful end of the season at this beach by providing US $1,000.

Kenya Exploration Part II: Watamu & Robinson Island

Check out Part I of our blog, Nairobi to Kilifi, here.

Our next stop was Watamu, about an hour away from Kilifi by car. We met our friends at Bahari Hai for dinner at a community-owned seafood restaurant in a beautiful mangrove setting along Mida Creek. The group is provided a concession from the authorities to run an ecotourism restaurant on public land, helping to generate income for the group and community on condition they help protect and conserve the marine ecosystem around them.

After a good rest, we set out to explore the area, first with a visit to Local Ocean Conservation’s turtle rehabilitation facility. While they did not have any turtles on site at the time, the organization works with local fishermen to release turtles caught in fishing nets, having saved more than 1,000 to date over the past decade plus.

Following that, I took a paddle board with Justin Beswick of Bahari Hai out into the Watamu Marine Reserve, an important coral reef and seagrass habitat home to green and hawksbill turtles along with dozens of species of fish and coral, among others. Here we saw our first sea turtles of the trip, several green turtles feeding on the seagrass. Bahari Hai also conducts photo identification of the local populations and shares the nesting beach with Local Ocean. SEE Turtles also provided a Sea Turtles & Plastic grant for Bahari Hai to set up a collection point to recycle plastic on the north side of the marine reserve.

Bahari Hai Team: Courtesy Bahari Hai

Green turtle in Watamu Marine Park: Courtesy Bahari Hai

We continued our packed day with a visit to EcoWorld Recycling, started by marine biologist Steve Trott to support coastal communities and encourage ocean plastic cleanups in the Watamu Marine Protected Area. EcoWorld was founded in 2012 as beach cleanup initiative and has become a great example of a community-based circular economy model, recycling more than 400 tons of plastic in the past 3 years and creating an income for more than 500 plastic waste collectors from women and youth groups and providing direct jobs to 22 staff at the EcoWorld Recycling Facility. Steve will be one our new advisors to our Sea Turtles & Plastic program, helping to determine our future strategy and grants to ensure our funds are used strategically. SEE Turtles will be making a $1,000 donation to help EcoWorld set up a new collection point for the Watamu Marine Reserve to help keep plastic out of this turtle habitat. The day finished with a relaxing boat ride on the Mida Creek estuary. We visited a flock of pink flamingos and watched the sunset over the mangrove. 

SEE Turtles president Brad Nahill with Steve Trott of EcoWorld

Sunset over Mida Creek

The following day, we continued our migration north to visit the Kinyaule Village, Robinson Island, where our partners Mariners For Action are working with the local community to clean and recycle plastic waste from this important turtle habitat. We picked up our colleagues Linus Owino and Nicholas in the nearby town of Malindi and headed about an hour north. Awaiting us was a large group of volunteers who were being ferried over to the beach for a cleanup and celebration. When we all arrived, the group headed down Kinyaule beach picking up several bags of plastic as we went.

Beach cleanup, credit Mariners For Action

Community dance, credit Mariners For Action

There was a festive atmosphere as we returned to the Mariners For Action camp. After a few short speeches, the real fun began as several different groups of women began traditional dances, accompanied by men playing homemade instruments. A bit timid at first, the women soon were bringing us up to dance joyfully with them during every song. Afterwards, we visited Mariners’ recycling collection point, funded by our Sea Turtles & Plastic program followed by a meal in a local restaurant and then return to Malindi, where we spent the night in preparation for our safari with Albatros Travel.

Check out the final post of this series, Part III: Overland Safari here.

Kenya Exploration Part 1: Nairobi to Kilifi

A good night’s sleep after the long journey helps to reset the clock. Along with our board member Dan Berman, I spent two weeks exploring Kenya’s coast and national parks, visiting our many partners in the country and scouting out what will be our first conservation tour outside of the Western Hemisphere.

Brad, Dan, and Joe from Ocean Sole

This morning, our first activity is to visit Ocean Soles’ facility outside of Nairobi. This impressive organization recycles hundreds of thousands of flip flops each year into incredible artwork including life-size elephants, turtles, and many more animals. This art employs more than 20 Nairobi-based artists along with local women’s groups along the coast who conduct the cleanups. We then head to Tamarind, a lovely restaurant on a large campus with our own private gazebo in a forest setting.

We then take a short flight to Diani to meet with our long-time friend and colleague Joana Hancock, a biologist that I worked with early in my career in Costa Rica who has been working for Olive Ridley Project for the past several years. Joana joined us for the coastal portion of the journey. Olive Ridley Project works to study and protect the turtles living in the reefs along one of the country’s most beautiful beaches. While the spring tides didn’t allow us to look for turtles on this visit, we enjoyed a leisurely canoe ride with a local fisherman on the creek before dinner at a lovely beachside restaurant.

Joana and Dan on our sunset canoe ride

Our morning started with a lesson on local primates with a visit to the Colubus Conservation. Approaching the entrance, we made space for a baboon using our side of the street and then headed down a dirt road to the facility. This organization does research, rehabilitation, and education on the area’s four primate species, Colubus, Vervets, Sykes Monkeys, and Baboons. As we started our tour, a local school group returned from their visit giddy with excitement from learning about these fascinating animals. The center helps to rehabilitate injured monkeys and release them to the wild as well as selling native plants to local landowners to restore their habitat. The end of the tour treated us to multiple trees filled with families of Colubus monkeys lazily resting across a large tree.

Colubus Monkeys in Diani Beach

We followed that with breakfast at a wonderful restaurant called the Pallet Café which employs and supports hearing impaired local residents, on a gorgeous stretch of beach. We learned about the hundreds of green turtles that ORP has cataloged in this reef and the threats they face, including accidental capture in fishing gear, illegal hunting, and destructive development projects.

Our next stop is Mombasa, the country’s second largest city and former capital, an hour’s drive north up the coast. We visited a local spice market, sampling several different fruits and street foods and buying some of the country’s great coffee and masala chai, with the help of some new local friends. From there, we continued on to our next stop on the coast, Kilifi. We checked into our rooms for the night at Distant Relatives Ecolodge, one of the most sustainable hotels I’ve ever stayed in, including using natural materials, composting toilets (that don’t smell), and supporting local mangrove reforestation efforts. We made our way down the hill from the lodge to visit a lovely mangrove and creek to have a drink and watch the sunset. The water was glorious and the birds added a musical soundtrack. We then joined the coastal Ocean Sole team to meet their turtle researchers and Ocean Mamaz who lead local beach cleanup efforts.

Traditional dhow fishing boat

Enjoying the creek at sunset

Regenerating coral at Kuruwitu. Photo: Kuruwitu Conservation

Early that morning, I woke up and wasn’t able to get back to sleep so I decided to head back down to the creek to enjoy a peaceful morning. Accompanied only by plentiful birds and a couple of fishermen, I had a relaxing meditation sitting in a mangrove tree and then a walk through the shallow water to get a better view of the creek and the interesting rock formations. We then had breakfast and a visit to Kuruwitu Marine Reserve, where our fantastic guide Katana took us on a guided snorkel of their impressive community-managed marine protected area.

This 30 hectare reserve was started in 2006 by the local fishing community as a way to help restore fish stocks that have been depleted over the years. In addition to restricting fishing in the reserve, the program is implementing a coral restoration program, having transplanted dozens of samples of several different species in an effort to bring back the reefs that have been damaged by coral bleaching, which happens when the polyps are expelled from the reef when temperatures get too high, one of many impacts of climate change on our oceans. The reserve has many species of fish including tang and parrotfish, as well as sea turtles and other marine life.

This wonderful opportunity to enjoy the water was followed by a mini-symposium organized by Ocean Sole and us, bringing together 11 different conservation organizations and government agencies working to study and protect Kenya’s sea turtles. Most of these organizations have all been partners with either our Billion Baby Turtles, Sea Turtles & Plastic, and Sea Turtle Community Leader programs (and in some cases, more than one). The participants all presented on their work and took questions from the other partners, allowing for opportunities to learn and explore collaboration.

Participating organizations were Ocean Sole, Bahari Hai, Mariners For Action, Local Ocean Conservation, Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Network, Kiunga Turtle Conservation Camp, Olive Ridley Project, Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Network, & Kishoka Youth Organization. Among many highlights were presentations by two of our newest Sea Turtle Community Leaders, Leah Manye of Olive Ridley Project and Nicholas Otieno of Mariners For Action.

Check out our posts for Part II and Part III of this trip.

Introducing Our Newest Cohort of Community Leaders

We’re thrilled to announce our newest cohort of Sea Turtle Community Leaders (formerly the Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund), all from Africa. This program supports residents living around sea turtle habitats to advance their careers so that they can lead local conservation programs.

Epeh Nuela Ayuk (Cameroon) is an accomplished graduate of the University of Buea, holding a degree in Environmental Science with a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Occupational Health and Safety. She is passionately dedicated to the field of waste management, with an emphasis on tackling marine pollution. As the Marine Conservation Coordinator for the Association for Community Awareness (ASCOA), Nuela plays a vital role in supporting the Environmental Protection Department.

Born in Lomé, Togo GBATCHI FAFA JUDITH holds a Master's degree in International Marketing and Networks and lives in the fishing community of Bè. She is actively involved in initiatives to help young people protect of the environment and the sea turtles she fell in love with a few years ago. As a founding member of the association Environnement et Relève de Demain in Africa (E.R.D. Afrique), she designs and implements of projects aimed at raising young people's awareness of environmental issues. Her vision is to promote environmental education adapted to local realities.

Nicholas Okeyo Otieno is a self-driven professional with experience in the field of fisheries and marine sciences. He co-founded and oversees administrative affairs at Mariners for Action (MFA), a conservation organization in Kenya. He holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in fisheries, oceanography, and marine/lacustrine management. As a member of Global Youth Biodiversity Network, Nicholas is deeply committed and passionate about marine research and conservation efforts.

Salma Hashim was born in Mkokoni village in Lamu, Kenya. Salma Hashim's commitment to sea turtle conservation and community development inspires those around her, making her a valuable asset to the Kiunga Turtle Conservation Group. She is a certified emergency responder, trained by the Kenya Wildlife Service. In 2011, Salma was trained by WWF Kenya in sea turtle conservation. Her dedication and efforts in this area have made her a recognized figure in turtle conservation within the Kiunga Ward area. In addition to her conservation work, Salma holds a certificate in peace and safety. Most recently, Salma completed a three-month leadership and management training program offered by the North Rangeland Trust.

2024 SEE Turtles Program Wrap Up

2024 was a strong year for our efforts to protect sea turtles and support coastal communities worldwide. We had a record number of baby turtles saved, helped clean up literal tons of plastic, and provided support for efforts to fight the tortoiseshell trade and grow emerging leaders in communities near turtle habitats.

A huge thank you to all of the supporters, travelers, businesses, and as always, our incredible network of partners around the world who are implementing these programs. None of this success would be possible without any of you!

Billion Baby Turtles

2024 was another great year for this program, setting a new record with an estimated 6,194,000 million hatchlings saved with 40+ grants, supporting 220 local jobs. Those funds include grants to 11 new partners in Ghana, Togo, Mexico, Bangladesh, Panama, and Colombia. For 2025, we are planning to provide an additional $200,000 in grants to our local partners around the world. Check out all of our partners from 2024 and before here.

Too Rare To Wear

We initiated new multi-year grants for on the ground work by our local partners Fundacion Tortugas del Mar (Colombia), The Leatherback Project (Panama), and Latin American Sea Turtles (Costa Rica). These grants will help to train law enforcement, research the trade, and build alliances with the tourism industry. We also worked with Care2.com to promote our pledge to avoid turtleshell which got more than 6,500 signatures. Our staff has also been working to grow our network of tourism partners working to educate travelers about this trade. For 2025, we will be finalizing upgrades to our award-winning SEE Shell App that uses AI to identify illegal turtleshell products, providing more funding for local campaigns, and reaching the public about this urgent issue.

Sea Turtles & Plastic

In 2024, we provided 12 grants totaling $24,000 cleaning up more than 200,000 lbs of waste. Those funds supported more than 400 coastal residents, helping to generate income for them and conservation efforts. Those grants included 4 grants for building new recycling efforts in 3 countries (Ghana (2), Kenya, and the Philippines. We are expecting a big 2025 for this program, as we are receiving great support from the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund and the Footprints Fund in addition to other supporters including our Sustainable Travel Sponsors. We are projecting $50,000 in grants to 15 - 20 cleanup and recycling efforts around the world this year.

 SEE Turtle Conservation Trips

2024 was our best year ever for our trips including trips to Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico, and Panama. For the year, we had 93 travelers generating more than $130,000 in conservation benefits. That includes $45,000 in profit for our general fund (which keeps our lights on) with an additional $20,000 generated for Billion Baby Turtles, Too Rare To Wear, and Plastic programs. We brought back our popular trip to Colola, Mexico which we filled. For 2025, we brought back our popular trips from previous years, Cuba and Galapagos, both of which have filled. We are starting on a very strong footing for 2025, 80 people registered for this year’s trips.

Sea Turtle Community Leaders

We’re very excited about the potential for this growing program. We recently changed the name from the Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund to better reflect the program’s goals. We provided $10,000 in grants for 5 community leaders in 2024 (one in Costa Rica and 4 in Africa). In addition, we are providing $1,000 to the International Sea Turtle Society to support travel of African participants to this important event. We are hoping for 2025 to be our best year yet with a projected $13,000 in 5-6 grants. We will also be exploring ways we can better support our grantees through additional training and opportunities to advance their careers. Learn about all of our grantees here.

Sea Turtle Week

2024 was another solid year for Sea Turtle Week. We reached more than 7 million people during the week, added in dozens of new partners for the program around the world and grew our social media following by 15%. We partnered with Oceanic Society to encourage organizations globally to conduct beach cleanups during the week. With additional funding from one of our sponsors, we provided $5,000 in grants to 12 organizations conducting cleanups and Oceanic Society funded an additional 7 cleanups.

Welcome to the New Members of Our Board of Directors!

We’re thrilled to bring on three new folks to our board of directors. Each of these folks have deep experience in sea turtle research and education and valuable skills they are bringing to our organization. Ceci Fischer has collaborated with our Too Rare To Wear program and brings deep experience on the international illegal wildlife trade. Bryan Wallace has authored dozens of papers on sea turtle research and conservation and has been a supporter and advisor of our Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund and is on the board of Grupo Tortuguero in Mexico, which was co-founded by our late co-founder, Dr. Wallace J. Nichols. Barbara has years of experience at the California Academy of Sciences as well as field research in Baja and close relationships with many of our conservation partners.

Cecilia Fischer: Independent Consultant

Ceci with a turtle nest

Ceci is an Independent Consultant combating illegal wildlife trade and strengthening marine conservation, with a geographical focus on Southeast Asia. She is working for international organizations and NGOs, such as UNODC, UNEP, the World Bank, ADB, WWF, EIA, etc., and has, among others, coordinated counter-wildlife trafficking projects at the national (Philippines) and regional (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines) level, has conducted analyses of regional law enforcement operations, and strengthened coordination among development partners in the region. Ceci co-authored 10-year Conservation Action Plans for Marine Turtles and Dugongs in the Philippines, and was part of conducting a Livelihood Feasibility Study to halt marine turtle egg poaching in the Philippine Turtle Islands. She also conducted a Marine Turtle Legislative Review in the Asia-Pacific for WWF, in close collaboration with CMS, and promoted the ShellBank tool – which includes a global database of marine turtle DNA to identify the origins of poached turtles based on confiscated items. She is a member of the IUCN-Marine Turtle Specialist Group and has undergone several turtle-related trainings held by experts, such as marine turtle tagging and monitoring in Mon Repos, Australia. Ceci is also a PADI Rescue Diver and enjoys watching turtles underwater.

Dr. Bryan Wallace: Director, Ecolibrium

Bryan with a nesting leatherback

Dr Wallace is a bilingual (English and Spanish) wildlife ecologist specializing in “collaborative conservation”. His work integrates primary research, collaboration, and facilitation to assess how people affect natural resources and to develop strategies for resource management within limited budgets. He has extensive experience in collaborative, multi-stakeholder projects dealing with wildlife monitoring research and management in international and USA geographies. During his career across academia, non-profit and for-profit sectors, working with many different stakeholders, Dr Wallace has learned that balance among perspectives and priorities is the key to effective science and successful, inclusive, and fair conservation solutions. He is also a dad, husband, nature addict, average front-yard gardener, less-than-amateur photographer, keen but green fly fisherman, and avid conservationist/conversationist. He lives in the Rocky Mountains with his marvelous family and lots of sunshine.

Barbara Andrews: Legal Manager, California Academy of Sciences

Barbara with a loggerhead in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Barb is the Legal Manager at the California Academy of Sciences located in San Francisco, California, and has worked at the Academy for over 20 years. In partnership with the Academy’s General Counsel, Barb oversees the management of the Academy’s legal operations, including contract procurement, intellectual property matters, and the institution’s insurance and risk management program. Barb was introduced to the world of sea turtles in 1998, initially volunteering as a field assistant to Dr. Jeffrey Seminoff and then Dr. Wallace J. Nichols at their respective field research sites in Baja California, Mexico. Since 2020, Barb has supported Mexico’s community based sea turtle organization, Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias, and has served on the boards of WildCoast, ProPeninsula (Board Chair 2006-2009), and Turtle Island Restoration Network (Vice-Chair 2013-2019). Barb loves the outdoors, is an avid hiker and mountain climber, and has a summer cabin in northern California where she also served on the cabin tract’s HOA board as Secretary and then President (2014-2024). She has a BA in Geography from the University of Oregon, and Paralegal Degree from California State University, Hayward (Cal State Univ. East Bay).

SEE Turtles Sustainable Travel Auction

To promote sustainable travel that supports sea turtles and coastal communities, SEE Turtles is announcing our second annual Sustainable Travel Auction. We work with leading tour operators and travel companies to encourage sustainable travel to coastal destinations around the world including Lindblad Expeditions, Natural Habitat Adventures, Pioneer Expeditions, Cuban Adventures, Global Basecamps, and EcoTeach. Funds raised from this auction will support SEE Turtles programs including our Too Rare To Wear program, which works with the tourism industry to combat the illegal tortoiseshell trade and our Sea Turtles & Plastic program, which helps coastal communities clean up and recycle plastic waste.

Highlights from the auction include:

• A 10 day trip for 2 to the legendary Galapagos Islands on a chartered yacht with Natural Habitat Adventures

• A week-long cabin for two on the National Geographic Quest cruise ship, visiting the Panama Canal and the beautiful coasts of Panama and Colombia, donated by Lindblad Adventures

• An 8 day trip for 2 to the unique island of Cuba visiting the highlights including Havana and more, donated by Cuban Adventures

• An 10 day sea kayaking exploration of Indonesia’s Komodo Islands for one, donated by Pioneer Expeditions

• A 3 night stay at Punta Islita in Costa Rica that includes a visit to a sea turtle conservation project donated by Global Basecamps

• A week-long Costa Rica sea turtle volunteer trip for one to work with giant leatherback turtles, donated by EcoTeach & SEE Turtles

The first sustainable travel auction in 2023 raised $13,000 for sea turtle conservation efforts. Those funds helped to support community projects in Kenya and Malaysia that are helping these destinations to clean and recycle thousand of pounds of plastic waste. In addition, the funds are being used to educate travelers about the illegal sale of tortoiseshell products happening in more than 10 countries around the world and to develop our ground-breaking SEE Shell App, which uses machine learning to allow travelers and others to identify these products.

Auction Donors

                 Global Basecamps

SEE Turtles Launches Crypto Campaign to Save Sea Turtles and Clean Up Oceans

Goal: $350,000 by End of 2025

SEE Turtles, a renowned global sea turtle conservation organization, has launched a groundbreaking crypto fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $350,000 by the end of 2025. The funds will support vital conservation projects around the world, from saving baby turtles on nesting beaches to cleaning up plastic waste from coastal communities.

To date, SEE Turtles has raised just over $175,000 in crypto donations helping to save endangered species and restore vital ocean habitats. This support has resulted in:

●  Saving 600,000 baby turtles across 15 nesting beaches.

●  Supporting 7 coastal communities in recycling efforts, collecting over 80,000 lbs of plastic and recycling 15,000 lbs.

●  Launching the award-winning SEE Shell app, using AI to identify illegal turtle shell products.

●  Reaching 8 million people through Sea Turtle Week to raise awareness about sea turtle conservation.

But SEE Turtles’ work is just beginning.

"Our ability to accept cryptocurrency has allowed SEE Turtles to dramatically expand our mission and help more sea turtles and coastal communities around the world," Brad Nahill, President of SEE Turtles. "The funds raised through this campaign will go directly towards protecting nesting beaches, supporting sustainable livelihoods, and combating illegal poaching."

Campaign Goals
The campaign’s goal to reach a total of $350,000 in crypto donations will help meet the following targets:

• Billion Baby Turtles: $150,000 to save 1.5 million baby turtles across 30 nesting beaches.

• Sea Turtles & Plastic: $100,000 to clean up 100,000 lbs of plastic and expand recycling programs to 15 coastal communities.

• Too Rare To Wear: $50,000 to launch public awareness campaigns in Colombia, Panama, and Indonesia to combat the trade in turtleshells.

• Emerging Leaders Initiative: $25,000 to support ten emerging conservation leaders from coastal communities investing in local workforce development.

• Sea Turtle Week: $25,000 to support an outreach campaign that will reach millions of people with messages about how to help sea turtles worldwide.

Global Impact
SEE Turtles' network of partners spans the globe, including organizations working in coastal communities in countries like Curacao, Colombia, Mexico, Malaysia, Costa Rica, and more. These critical projects are making an impact in regions with vulnerable turtle populations, supporting local conservation efforts, and building a cleaner, healthier environment for both marine life and coastal communities.

Crypto Donors: Make Waves with Your Impact
SEE Turtles is encouraging the growing crypto community to join the mission and donate to the campaign. Donating cryptocurrency is a fast, secure way to contribute directly to saving sea turtles and protecting oceans. Crypto donors can give in popular stable coins, including Turtle Finance, DeFi Turtle, and others. Learn more about these innovative partnerships and projects on SEE Turtles' donation page.

Join us in this ambitious and urgent campaign. Every crypto donation counts in the race to save our oceans and these ancient, majestic creatures from the brink of extinction.

Donate today and make your crypto count! Visit: www.seeturtles.org/donate-crypto

Click to read Crypto For Turtles

About SEE Turtles
SEE Turtles is a leading global organization dedicated to sea turtle conservation and ecotourism. Founded in 2008, SEE Turtles has saved more than 10 million turtle hatchlings and supported critical community-driven conservation programs worldwide. The organization's mission is to provide funding, resources, and tools to protect endangered sea turtle species in the Global South. Our work has earned awards from Travel + Leisure Magazine, the World Travel & Tourism Council, and others.

For more information, media inquiries, or partnership opportunities, contact:
brad@seeturtles.org | +1 (800) 215-0378

Follow SEE Turtles on Social Media
Twitter: @seeturtles
Instagram: @see_turtles
Facebook: SEE Turtles

#CryptoForConservation #SaveSeaTurtles #CryptoGiving

August Billion Baby Turtles Update

For August our Billion Baby Turtles supported 6 different projects in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh and Costa Rica with a total of US $18,900 and expected to help almost 108,000 baby turtles. This year, to date we have supported our partners with US $125,400 in grants and have helped save almost more than 1,000,000 baby turtles so far! 

Our World Our Sea, Beyin, Western Region,  Ghana

This is a new organization that started working in 2023. Their first year they protected 231 nests of green turtles, 33 olive ridley, and 165 leatherback nests. One of the main threats in the nesting area is illegal collection/hunting. Our World works with local communities during the nesting season where local volunteers support the maintenance of hatcheries, beach patrols, egg relocation, and hatchling releases. Our World also runs a by-catch release program named “fishing gear for turtles” and intensive community awareness. With US $3,000, our Billion Baby Turtles expect to help this partner to protect more than 36,000 baby turtles. 

Marinelife Alliance, Cox Bazar-Teknaf, Bangladesh 

Marinelife Alliance (MLA) is dedicated to the understanding, protection, and preservation of coastal and marine resources, amidst endless threats posed by man-made alterations and unsustainable practices in the area of Cox Bazar-Teknaf in Bangladesh. Founded by a group of young biologists in the 90s, their mission is to conserve and restore marine and coastal biodiversity through knowledge enhancement, rigorous scientific research, and active engagement of local stakeholders with a primary focus on sea turtle restoration programs. This project addresses multiple threats endangering sea turtles in Bangladesh, including bycatch, egg collection, predation, nesting beach alteration, and tourism-related disturbances. With US $2,000, our Billion Baby Turtles program hope to support MLA to protect at least 12,500 turtle hatchlings.

Ashanti Conservation Initiative, Western Ghana

This is a new project born in 2021 due to the Covid-19 outbreak that disrupted the conservation sector in Ghana, especially with income losses and reduced survey/monitoring activities. This project seeks to increase the awareness and empower of local communities and support the rehabilitation of key marine turtles nesting sites in the Western region of Ghana. Ashanti engages local traditional leaders, community members, artisanal fishers and school children. They have employed at least 30 guides, continuously building their capacity, providing them with a monthly stipend to patrol nesting beaches. Also, more than 400 community members have benefited from the "US $1 for nest” program, encouraging local people to report any turtle nest along the project areas and receive US $1 in return. This stipend has supported high school students who serve as guards. With all these activities, Ashanti ensures full participation of local communities and the information gathered will provide valuable insight into the relative abundance per species, and off-sea distribution and diversity of sea turtles and an indication of threats encountered by sea turtles visiting nesting sites. With US $3,000 Billion Baby Turtles support this to protect and expect to help more than 5,000 baby turtles to reach the ocean.

Conservation des Espèces Marines, Grand-Béréby, Ivory Coast     

Conservation des Espèces Marines (CEM) has been active for more than a decade in sea turtle protection activities, focusing on approximately 30 km of beaches west of Grand-Béréby.  CEM is a local non-profit association of Ivory Coast and it is composed almost entirely by members of local communities. The field activities are carried out 100% by local eco-guards. They organize the surveillance of the nesting females. Three marine turtle species nests on the beach West of Grand Béréby: leatherback, olive ridleys and green turtles. Last season they protected 703 olive ridley nests, 83 green turtles, and 14 leatherbacks. Billion Baby Turtles is supporting this organization for the first time this year with US $3,000 expecting to help more than 11,500 baby turtles to get to the big blue.

Olive ridley hatchling. Photo: Conservation des Espèces Marines

Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative, Conflict Island Atoll, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea

CICI works to increase the nesting and hatching success of hawksbills within the Conflict Islands atoll through creating safer habitats along the 21 islands. Their Safe Habitats program employs indigenous Conservation Rangers, training them on marine turtle populations, importance, and conservation techniques. The ranger’s presence along the Conflict Islands help to make local communities aware and decrease the number of illegal collectors from surrounding islands. Furthermore, to increase hawksbill hatchling success, they also collect ‘high risk’ eggs that are either below the high tide line or on a beach accessed by illegal collectors and relocate them in their hatchery on the main island of Panasesa. This project started in 2016 with just 4 local rangers but now they have 14, and this year they are seeking to employ a further 4 women to the team. This project protects green and hawksbill turtles, every year they help around 28,000 hatchlings to get to the ocean. This year, Billion Baby Turtles supported this project with US $3,000 and expect to help CICI to protect at least 500 baby turtles.

Comunidad Protectora de Tortugas de Osa, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

This organization protects primarily olive ridleys and green turtles at 3 beaches. This is one of the most biodiverse areas in Costa Rica. Since 2019, Tortugas de Osa monitoring and research projects offer the opportunity to involve different local actors, volunteers and conservation organizations, to contribute to the protection and monitoring of marine turtles. This is a community-led conservation association that aims to integrate local people in the conservation of the highly biodiverse Osa Peninsula, and more specifically the busy sea turtle nesting beaches of Rio Oro and Carate. They focus on local communities in rural areas where individuals are looking to make positive change away from mining, hunting and taking inside the Corcovado National Park area. With US $5,000,  Billion Baby Turtles supported this project and hopes to help to protect more than 43,000 baby turtles this season. 

Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund Profile - Emma Bello

Emma with a hatchling in Parismina. Photo: Turtle Love

Our Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund provides grants and scholarships for residents of coastal communities where we support sea turtle conservation work. Our most recent grant is for Andriws Emmanuel Bello Suazo, also known as Emma, a 19-year-old Costa Rican native from Limón on the country's Caribbean coast. His parents, Nicaraguan immigrants seeking a better life, moved to Costa Rica. Despite financial challenges, Emma excelled academically, earning a high school diploma and a technical degree in Rural Tourism.

During his supervised professional internship with our partner Turtle Love, Emma's passion for conserving endangered species was ignited. Throughout 2023, he immersed himself in sea turtle conservation, actively relocating over 300 green turtle nests and protecting 30,000 eggs. The thought that over 20,000 baby sea turtles might have perished without his help thrilled him.

While 2023 was fulfilling, financial constraints impeded Emma's dream of enrolling in university. Accepted into the Universidad Tecnica Nacional to study biology for continued sea turtle conservation efforts, Emma faced setbacks when his father lost his job at a local banana plantation just before Christmas. As a result, Emma's family can no longer afford to support his education. This scholarship will empower Emma to leverage his academic skills, pursue a degree, and further contribute to conservation efforts, especially for sea turtles in Costa Rica.

We asked Emmanuel about his goals for pursuing his biology degree and his experience.

Tell us about your background and interest in studying biology:

I am 19 years old and my academic level is diversified education and an intermediate technician in Rural Tourism. My interest in dedicating myself to biology, conservation and environmental management dates back to my childhood, where I could appreciate the beauty and importance of the environment in which I live, the value of biodiversity that my country and its surroundings have. I plan to dedicate myself to the conservation of wildlife, especially sea turtles, and carry out
research in collaboration with Turtle Love.

Emma releasing a juvenile green turtle with a transmitter. Photo: Turtle Love

What is your experience in sea turtle research and conservation?

My experience in the Turtle Love organization is mainly in monitoring work of sea turtles, carrying out all activities related to them. Also the monitoring of freshwater turtles and monitoring with camera traps. I also went on to manage and lead groups of volunteers and students who visit the project. In 2022, I completed my supervised internship at Turtle Love. I worked in the area of ​​coordination assistant for the organization and in 2024 I will continue to be part of the team's collaborators during university vacation periods.

J. Nichols & The Science Exchange

By Katherine Comer Santos

On personal level, J had a way of talking to you with those sky-blue eyes that made you feel that he was on another planet looking through your soul at what is best for you, like a crystal ball of blue. His voice was like an adolescent’s, soft and somewhat scratchy around the baritone. He chose words carefully and each word was important, you clung to them, waiting for your sign. What idea is he going to give me now? There was no one he didn’t hug.  After the serious conversations about life, he would double over in laughter and take a tequila shot with you. Every time he spoke at a conference or event he inspired us and almost every time I cried. He was a true Renaissance man – musician, scientist, speaker, artist, writer, and groundbreaker. He and his wife Dana walked from northern California to Cabo San Lucas along the coast when they were young. Because he was such a superstar, people like myself didn’t want to let him down. So without any prodding, he got us to do his heavy lifting. That’s what a teacher does. He taught us all to go for the gold. Be crazy. He probably has thousands of devoted students including hundreds of fishers whose lives are intertwined with his and his family’s, all over Mexico, but especially Baja. The word “family” – his girls – his friends – his Tortugueros - was really powerful when he said it. Sin verguenza he put his heart in his hand and held it out for everyone to see.

At least that is how I remember him.

On a professional level, I want to share this essay I wrote in 2021, for which he received the Elizabeth Becker Award (cash) for mentorship in the field of psychology. It is similar to so many stories of non-profits and other programs he helped start. I am so happy he got to read it. 

“I have been a long-time student of my mentor Dr. Wallace “J” Nichols. Although he may not take credit for it, Dr. Nichols is the reason that my non-profit organization, the Science Exchange, exists. The mission of the organization is to provide mentorship to undergraduates and graduate students with the goal of creating the next generation of leaders who can tackle global conservation issues such as the health of our oceans.

At the Middlebury Institute, Dr. Nichols’ current research involves the neuroscience of how water affects the human brain. A quote from his book Blue Mind sums up his teachings: “Our wild waters provide vast cognitive, emotional, physical, psychological, social, and spiritual values for people from birth, through adolescence, adulthood, older age, and in death; wild waters provide a useful, widely available, and affordable range of treatments healthcare practitioners can incorporate into treatment plans,” (Nichols 2014).

However, Dr. Nichols has a long list of additional accomplishments. Nichols holds a B.A. degree from DePauw University in Biology and Spanish, an M.E.M. degree in Natural Resource Economics and Policy from Duke University, and a Ph.D. degree in Wildlife Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona. He received a Bradley Fellowship to study the impacts of sea level rise at Duke University Marine Lab, a Marshall Fellowship to study at the University of Arizona, and a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico marine station in Mazatlan. In 2010 he also received an honorary doctorate in science. He has authored more than 200 scientific papers, technical reports, book chapters, and popular publications; lectured in more than 30 countries and nearly all 50 states; and appeared in hundreds of print, film, radio, and television media outlets. His reach is far and diverse as he keeps teaching the science of Blue Mind.

I first met “J” in 2004 when we designed and analyzed a survey of residents who would be impacted by a marine reserve in a bay in Mexico, asking their views on what benefits the natural reserve would have for the community. With his support we turned the findings into a book chapter and two conference presentations. I was thrilled when he invited me to join him at my first professional conference (Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias) in 2005. At the conference I met many people that work hard to help ocean health (researchers on marine pollution, overfishing, climate change) and at the same time support the economic needs poor fishing communities. But these researchers were suffering from lack of on-the ground field workers and funding.

That experience with Dr. Nichols inspired me to start the Science Exchange Internship program. I had the idea of helping researchers by involving undergraduates and graduate students who needed academic credits, and Dr. Nichols supported me 100%. We worked together to create the non-profit organization and he was my first board member. We have had students in science, psychology, business, and international studies. The internships not only have helped students, but their research results have impacted the community at large by changing the way field conservation programs work and providing valuable data and suggestions to improve their efficiency. The Student Personal Narrative Part II provides quantitative data on those societal impacts.

J has been through many trials in his life. Raised by adoptive parents, he contracted spinal meningitis as a child, which sparked an interest in medicine. As a graduate student he was told his research topic – sea turtles – was pointless because there were not enough animals left, but that did not stop him. Last year J’s family house was destroyed in the California wildfires. Throughout this painful and stressful process of rebuilding he follows his own teachings of keeping a blue mind. Despite the obstacles he faces, J continues to be a leader for his students around the country and the globe even in these times of economic distress. His oldest daughter whom I have known since she was a baby is now in college.

I could not have started this organization without Dr. Nichols. I would not have chosen it as my principal occupation without his encouragement. More importantly, I would not have been successful in mentoring the 108 interns that have come out of this program without his advice and leadership. In turn, the Science Exchange is the reason that the students continue to promote ocean health in their careers, becoming leaders in their own right. One hundred and eight is a conservative number of people affected by the program. I believe that this impact has benefitted not only the students, but society at large. We do outreach to about 10,000 people a year through social media, newsletters, and presentations at universities and conferences. The volunteers, supervisors and students’ networks benefit. After all, the world needs more leaders who understand how conservation of the oceans works in the real world, not just on paper. “The world’s ocean and all waterways, including lakes, rivers, and wetlands (collectively, blue space), cover over 71% of our planet. Keeping them healthy, clean, accessible, and biodiverse is critical to human health and well-being,” (Nichols 2014). The work we do doesn’t stop at the beach but continues 1000’s of miles to the middle of the sea and 1000’s of meters to the tops of mountains. It doesn’t stop at our U.S. borders but continues around the globe. You can’t care for the ocean unless you love it. To be in it, near it, hear it, see it is to love it. Because water makes us healthier and happier. That is what Dr. Nichols has taught us. And we will keep on teaching it.”

J, I wish you and your family peace, happiness and water. You will always be in our hearts.

From left: Jeff Seminoff, Hoyt Peckham, Katherine, and J.

Introducing our new Communications Manager, Sabrina Mashburn

We’re excited to introduce you to our newest member of the team, Sabrina Mashburn! Sabrina will be taking over for our communications manager Bethany Holtz, who has done a tremendous job running our social media efforts and Sea Turtle Week program for the past three years. We thank Bethany for her help improving our outreach and growing our audience and especially for her help growing Sea Turtle Week into a worldwide program.

Sabrina comes to us with a tremendous background in sea turtle and ocean wildlife conservation, research, and education. She has a masters in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, runs her own sea turtle conservation nonprofit, is a former biology teacher, and has worked in the field in Madagascar and the US.

Tell us about your experience in science and conservation before coming to SEE Turtles

I was working at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City as Assistant to the Curator when I started to become concerned with the state of our oceans, around 2006-2007.  After doing some preliminary research, I decided that art would flourish as long as human beings were on Earth, but the oceans and their inhabitants (and the coastal communities that depend on them for sustenance) needed my help there and then. I went back to school, earning my Post-Bacc in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, and the rest is history! 

I began my conservation career after Columbia working for the Wildlife Conservation Society as a Teaching Fellow and consultant on their Madagascar exhibit, which led to a job with WCS’ Ocean Giants Program, where I was a cetacean bioacoustics laboratory manager and bioacoustic analyst for two years. During that time, I discovered the first-ever evidence of a Sri Lankan blue whale in Angolan waters on one of our data sets, and was honored with co-authorship of my lab’s presentation at the International Whaling Commission Conference. But after years of listening to the cetaceans (and copious amounts of vessel traffic noise disturbance) under the waters of Angola and Madagascar, I just had to get out into the field and see these animals for myself! This led to my acceptance to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s International Volunteer Programme as their first American ambassador to Madagascar’s Southwest region, as well as a wonderful opportunity to be a volunteer scientific diver for both Blue Ventures and WWF. There I was able to help conduct a portion of the first-ever comprehensive survey of Madagascar’s barrier reef system - the third-largest barrier reef system in the world. 

During my time in Madagascar, I fell in love with the Vezo people, their culture, and their deep sense of community. I have since been given the title of “honorary Vezo,” which I hold close to my heart, and am always looking for opportunities to improve the Vezo people’s access to healthcare, clean water, PPE, and nutrition, as well as improved fishing gear, and helping to increase their targeted fish species catch while decreasing incidental take of internationally-protected species like sea turtles and small cetaceans. 

At home in the USA, I started my own fisher-focused conservation organization, SoCal Sea Turtles, Inc., in 2015. SoCal Sea Turtles works alongside NOAA, the US Navy, and other public and private partners, to ensure that everyone on, in, or near the water on the West Coast of the United States knows how to report live sea turtle sightings, as well as how to safely retrieve, report, and release injured sea turtles and report sightings of dead sea turtles to the NOAA Stranding Network. These federal agency partnerships have given me an inside look at how policy around endangered species is devised, revised, carried out, and enforced at the local, state, and federal levels, improving my skill set for conservation work both at home and abroad.

What are you most excited about working on with SEE Turtles?

I have been focused mainly on US-based conservation projects for the past decade since moving home from Madagascar, and I am very much looking forward to getting back out into the field and helping coastal communities in the parts of the world most in need of aid.

Tell us about the first sea turtle you saw or worked with.

The first sea turtle I ever encountered was underwater during my very first SCUBA dive in Honolulu, Hawaii. My dive instructor had me practice my buoyancy skills at a sea turtle “cleaning station” and I suddenly felt like a scientist on her first drive through Jurassic Park. I originally went to Hawaii to search for cetaceans, but once my dive course was over, I had completely shifted my research interests from cetaceans to sea turtles, and haven’t looked back since.

Although whales and their sophisticated social behaviors and vocalizations will always hold a special place in my heart, I have wanted to live among the dinosaurs since the moment my brain was developed enough to understand what a dinosaur was, and I think sea turtles are just about the closest thing to living dinosaurs in terms of their physical presence, if not their genetics and/or ancestry!

What gives you hope for the future with sea turtles?

Sea turtles have persisted in Earth’s oceans for over 90 million years (leatherbacks) and over 60 million years (hard-shelled species), so I am confident that they will exist long after our species has gone extinct, as long as we continue to make small changes in our own behavior on, in, and near their ocean homes, to accommodate their ancient lifestyles.

June & July Billion Baby Turtles Update

For June and July, our Billion Baby Turtles supported 8 different projects in Costa Rica, Indonesia, Nicaragua, and Mexico with US $34,500 which we expect to help save almost 700,000 baby turtles. This year, to date we have supported our partners with US $106,500 in grants and have helped save almost 1,000,000 baby turtles so far!

Guanacaste Dry Forest Foundation: Nancite, Costa Rica
Playa Nancite is the second most important nesting site for olive ridley sea turtles in Costa Rica. The arribadas of these turtles generally result in between 20,000 and 116,000 nests each year. Turtle biologist Luis Fonseca has been studying the sea turtles of this area for more than a decade. His sea turtle monitoring project is integral to understanding population trends over time and in designing management and conservation actions that promote the recovery of sea turtle populations in this part of Costa Rica. With US $5,000, SEE Turtles supported Luis’ research at this important beach and expect to help around 500,000 baby turtles to get to the big blue. 

Olive ridleys nesting during an arribada at Nancite. Photo: Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund

Everlasting Nature,  Kimar Island, Indonesia   

This organization in Kimar Island,Indonesia helps protect hawksbill turtles and the recovery of this population. This island used to have a big problem with illegal taking of nests, this is the main reason for the establishment of this project. Everlasting Nature hires local people as “eggs guardians”, walking the beach every morning and collecting nesting data. They conduct this this project with Indonesia Sea Turtle Research Foundation (Yayasan Penyu Laut Indonesia/ YPLI) as partner. This is a very important area for the endangered hawksbill turtles, they protect around 700 nests per season. Our Billion Baby Turtle program supported them with US$ 5,000 for this season and estimate they can protect around 60,000 baby turtles. 

SOS Nicaragua, Los Brasiles, Nicaragua

Since 2019, Sos Nicaragua has been independently implementing conservation efforts on the island of Los Brasiles, starting a permanent sea turtle protection program. They have developed a conservation model in harmony with turtle egg harvesters where raising local awareness, protecting critical sea turtle habitats and generating new sources of financial sustainability for local families in long-term project goals. The average number of nests protected annually usually exceeds 100, mostly nests of ridley turtles. Billion Baby Turtles has been supporting this project since 2017, this year with US $2,000, we hope to help around 2,000 baby turtles. 

Turtle Foundation, Sipora and Selaut Besar, Indonesia

The Derawan Archipelago in the district of Bearau, East Borneo, is located in the famous Coral Triangle, making it part of one of the most biodiverse marine areas. It also is one of the most important nesting sites for Green Turtles. The coral reefs of the archipelago are also home of hawksbill turtles, which are still heavily hunted for its carapace, which is used to make jewelry and souvenirs. While Turtle Foundation and its local sister organization Yayasan Penyu Indonesia have been running protection projects on several islands in the Derawan Archipelago in recent times, there are two important green turtle nesting islands, Mataha and Bilang-Bilangan. For the 2022-2023 season they were asked by local partners to help protect these important islands. All this work had led to a virtual complete decline of illegal collection for the first time in those islands, where turtle nests are now able to develop undisturbed. With US$ 10,000 Billion Baby Turtles supported this project and helped to protect turtles in the Berau District. 

We also supported the Turtle Foundation to start a conservation project on the uninhabited island of Selaut Besar, north of Simeulue Island in the province of Aceh in Sumatra in 2021 together with the local conservation organizations Yayasan Penyu Indonesia (YPI) and Ecosystem Impact (EI). Our Billion Baby Turtles program is supporting this project on this Island with US$ 3,000 for this upcoming season expecting to protect more than 3,500 baby turtles.

On the island of Sipora in West Sumatra, part of the Mentawai Islands, in autumn 2017, a completely unknown nesting 8 km beach of the endangered leatherback turtle was discovered: Buggeisiata. During decades the local community used to hunt nesting females for the meat and take the eggs for their consumption. With these practices the number of nesting females has decimated, but since Turtle Foundation is protecting this beach, the local community has respected the life of nesting females. Thus, even in a low number of nests every season, the protection of this area is very important to protect the female turtles. Last season they protected 32 leatherback nests, 4 hawksbill nests and 6 nests of olive ridleys. With US $2,500, SEE Turtles supported this project that protects not only eggs and hatchlings but also adult females from being killed. 

Hatchery at Sipora (Turtle Foundation)

Leatherback turtle from Sumatra (Turtle Foundation)

Palmarito, Oaxaca, Mexico

The Palmarito Project has been operating since 2005, a nesting beach for leatherback, black/green and olive ridley turtles, located on the route migration of sea turtles and the most important nesting area in the Mexican Pacific. Last season they protected 285 nests of olive ridley turtles, 173 of green turtles, and 12 leatherbacks. Billion Baby Turtles supported this partner with US$ 5,000 helping to save more than almost 6,000 baby turtles. 

Kaanan AC, Isla Aguada, Campeche, Mexico (Emergency Fund Grant)

Hawksbill turtle nesting in Campeche is recorded on different beaches with unique characteristics, occurring both on the coastal shoreline and inside the Laguna de Términos. This project has been protected since its inception in 1977. In the last 20 years, the operation has been strengthened in large part by community participation, achieving the formation of a trained and appropriate community group for the project, actively participating in the monitoring of nesting, strandings, emergencies, nest exhumation, and even monitoring of juveniles. With US $2,000 from our Billion Baby Turtles program, we hope to help this organization to help at least 8,000 baby turtles to get to the ocean.