Bali Sea Turtle Society – When travelling to Bali with (or even without) kids, a must-do is a turtle release on Kuta beach.
Headed by Agung Tresna, an inspiring man who was previously the head of security on Kuta Beach, he now dedicates his retirement to saving the turtles and is known by his nickname “Mr Turtle”. His passion for turtles and conservation is infectious.
The team at Bali Sea Turtle Society take calls from the public and hotel managers all year round when a mother turtle is spotted on the beach. They spring into action, cordoning off the area to reduce sound and bright lights that will scare the mother away. Once she has laid her eggs the team dig them up and transfer them to the hatchery, preventing them from being trampled.
When they hatch and are ready to be released it will be announced on their Facebook page. It is recommended to get there early as it is very popular (though he does make a special exception for kids, as they are his priority).
Everyone gets their own baby turtle to take down to the ocean and release, the baby turtle race is an awesome sight!
Mr Turtle’s message is an important one, do not litter! Out of 1000 turtles released, only 1 will make it to adulthood, many are eaten by predators (mainly birds) but often it’s because of pollution. The babies can swim for 2-3 days without food (living off the yolk from the egg) but when they start to eat in many cases their first meal is plastic.
The Bali Sea Turtle Society survives on private sponsorship and donations, so if you do go please consider donating or buying one of their t-shirts to ensure their great work continues.
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