Mission statement

"Watamu Turtle Watch is a Kenyan marine conservation organisation committed to the protection of sea turtles and the marine environment, through hands-on conservation, research, education, campaigning and community development. The involvement of local communities is an essential part of the project with the aim of making it sustainable for the future."

Applied Research & Conservation Ltd. in Leeds, United Kingdom, handles adoptions requested through this website.

Volunteer opportunities

Work at Watamu Turtle Watch on our conservation programmes - Click here for more info.

Location

Watamu / Malindi Marine Parks and Reserve (WMMPR) covers an area of 229 km2 and is part of a UN Biosphere Reserve, that also includes the Arabuko Sokoke coastal forest. The WMMPR protected areas consist of two Marine Parks: Malindi (6 km2) in the North and Watamu (10km2) in the South, both contained within a Reserve that extends three and a half nautical miles seaward and encompasses Mida Creek (32km2).

This amounts to approximately 30kms of coastline, with a fringing reef along its entirety, as well as numerous patch reefs. The fringing reef forms several lagoons, some of which are still rich in coral and fish species. The Parks and Reserves provide an important residing and feeding habitat for sea turtles, while the 5km beach within Watamu Marine Park is a key turtle nesting ground in the country. Mida Creek is a diverse and rich ecosystem consisting of mangroves, coral, crustacea, fish and turtles. The Creek is a crucial breeding and developmental site for fish and turtle species.

The issues

The Kenyan marine environment has been suffering from a range of human related threats in recent years, most of which are related to unsustainable levels of natural resource use and destructive fishing practices. The lack of marine management and resulting degradation of natural resources has been felt most acutely by local communities. The plight of marine turtles symbolises this malaise, as they are an integral component of a healthy marine ecosystem, and their endangered status is directly attributable to negative human impacts on the marine ecosystem.

Five of the world's seven species of marine turtle are found in Kenyan waters, the most prevalent in the Watamu in-shore areas are the green (most numerous), hawksbill and olive ridley turtles. Despite legislative protection sea turtles are still being extensively exploited throughout Kenya for their eggs, meat, oil and shell. Also, important habitat is being destroyed and hundreds of turtles drown each year as a result of fishing by-catch.

WTW history

WTW was formed in 1997 to continue and further develop the marine turtle conservation efforts of a local naturalist Barbara Simpson, which she had been undertaking in the area since the 1970's. WTW is a registered community based organisation, which operates according to an approved constitution and is currently co-ordinated by a committee of six.

WTW is a part of Local Ocean Trust, a Kenyan Charitable Trust working for the conservation of the marine environment. A lot of the work of WTW coincides with the work of Local Ocean Trust, as sea turtles are the flagship for the marine conservation efforts of Local Ocean Trust.

WTW works in close co-operation with the Kenya Sea Turtle Conservation Committee (KESCOM), of which it is a member, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Fisheries Department. The project receives funding assistance from International Fund for Animal Welfare Possible link and Fauna and Flora International Possible link (through the East African Wildlife Society Possible link).

Conservation research

As well as saving sea turtles from slaughter this programme provides invaluable opportunities to take basic, harmless, scientific measurements to assist with sea turtle research. Providing information on: growth rates, long distance dispersal, whether the turtles are returning to their birth beach to lay their own eggs, mortality rates and fishing injury rates. Such information is vital for the development of effective sea turtle conservation strategies. For more information on this visit our science page.

The release programme also provides opportunities for tourists and members of the community to view turtles close up which raises conservation awareness. Such awareness, and the development of a working relationship with the fishing communities, is essential to changing attitudes as to the importance of conservation.