Turtle Foundation

An early surprise from Nias!🐢

On 19 September, the first leatherback turtle nest of the season was discovered at Moale Beach on Nias Island, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Based on the tracks left in the sand, we estimate that the nest had been laid two to three days earlier.

The discovery came earlier than expected: regular beach patrols have not even started yet, as the nesting season usually begins in October.

A special first sign of the season ahead and hopefully the first of many leatherback nests to come!

We’re excited to see what the upcoming nesting season will bring.

Leatherback turtle - sea turtle conservation - turtle monitoring - beach patrols - endangered species

Over the past days, many of you will have seen the deeply disturbing footage from Raja Ampat, Indonesia, showing the killing of a critically endangered hawksbill turtle.

The incident has reached people far beyond Indonesia, particularly within the diving and conservation community. We share this concern and strongly condemn the deliberate killing of protected sea turtles for meat consumption. We therefore appreciate that the relevant organisations and authorities have already taken action in response.

But as shocking as this case is, it is important to remember that it is not an isolated incident.

Sea turtles continue to be illegally hunted and killed around the world, and Indonesia is no exception. What makes the current case different is that there is video footage. Most turtles that are poached disappear without a camera recording what happened to them, without thousands of people watching, and without their story reaching the international community.

For us at Turtle Foundation, this case is a painful reminder of why our work remains so important. It requires continuous protection, monitoring, education and cooperation with local communities and authorities.

Every sea turtle matters, whether the world witnesses what happens to it or not.
Let’s continue to speak up and take action for all wildlife, including those whose stories remain unseen.

📷 © Manfred Muchenberger

Today is World Cleanup Day!

For sea turtles, clean beaches are essential. 🐢

Waste and debris can block nesting females from finding suitable nesting sites or make it harder for them to dig their nests. And once the hatchlings emerge, rubbish on the beach can become a dangerous obstacle: they can get trapped or entangled on their way to the ocean.

That’s why keeping sea turtle habitats clean is also part of protecting them.

Across our project sites in Indonesia and on Boa Vista, Cabo Verde, our teams regularly organise beach cleanups to collect waste from nesting beaches and surrounding areas. Not just on World Cleanup Day, but throughout the year.

Today, we want to say a big thank you to our teams, volunteers and local communities – and to everyone around the world helping to keep our beaches and oceans clean.

Every piece of waste removed helps.

Our Annual Report 2025 is here!🐢

2025 was a special year for Turtle Foundation: we celebrated our 25th anniversary and looked back on a quarter of a century dedicated to protecting sea turtles and their habitats.

Our new Annual Report takes you through the past year, from our conservation work in Indonesia and Cabo Verde to the achievements, developments and challenges that shaped 2025.

Swipe through to discover some of the numbers behind our work and the impact we have achieved together over the years.

📖 Read the full Annual Report 2025 via the link in our bio or visit our website.

A big thank you to our teams Fundação Tartaruga & Yayasan Penyu Indonesia - YPI, partners, supporters and everyone who made this work possible. Together, we will continue working towards a future where sea turtles and their habitats are sustainably protected.

📷 Slide 1 & 2: kogia.org

August Update from Boa Vista! 🐢

August was a busy month for our sea turtle patrol teams! With nesting season in full swing, we’ve recorded 6968 nests across our beaches so far.

And there’s even more exciting news: during the last week of August, the first hatchlings of the season emerged!

After months of protecting the nests and monitoring the beaches, seeing those tiny turtles make their way towards the ocean is an incredible reminder of why our work matters.

The season is far from over — we’ll keep patrolling, protecting and counting.

Kinda chic if you ask us. 🐢🌊

Here's a quick update on the current sea turtle nesting season on Boa Vista! 🐢

Swipe through to see the latest figures, including nests recorded, nests in the hatchery, turtles tagged, rescues, and poaching incidents.

We can't wait for the first nests to hatch!
Follow along for more updates throughout the season.