Today is the World Turtle Day!

Sunday 23rd of May 2021

Turtles are so awesome that they have outlived the dinosaurs, and have a lifespan exceeding a hundred years. Can you imagine being alive for more than a century?

The World Turtle Day marked on May 23 of every year has been a globally celebrated occasion for multiple reasons. Turtles and tortoises across the world have declined in population due to a number of adverse human activities and practices that have worsened the living condition of these animals, destroying their habitats in the process. The Maldives with its blissful geographic location, is a hotspot for these animals to thrive, but over the years, poaching of their eggs, uncontrolled killings and pollution of our waters with plastic have caused great harm to the turtles.

Resorts in the Maldives are continually educating, encouraging and inspiring guests who visit the destinations about how their sustainable actions can help the turtles not only in Maldives, but around the world, to thrive. It is not uncommon to meet these curious and playful animals in the healthy house reefs of resorts.

Since turtles have a tendency to return to their birth place to lay eggs, many magical occurrences have been noted in the Maldivian islands where turtles are spotted nesting. Lucky guests who stay long enough after the event even witness turtle hatchlings emerge from the sandy ground to crawl their way to sea. Oh, what a sight it is!

Just a few days back, Kagi Maldives reported the sighting of a critically endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle nesting on the island’s beach. Once the mother turtle made its tiring journey back to sea, the nest was fenced and marked with a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. Mark your calendars for the end of July because hatchlings are expected soon! If that’s too late, there are two more nests on the island due to hatch by June.

The Olive Ridley Project in the Maldives have been closely monitoring hundreds of resident turtles recognized in the vicinity of many resorts and helping turtles caught in traumatic incidents recover in the Marine Turtle Rescue Center in Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu. You can also do your part in contributing to this great project by adopting a turtle.