Save the Gili Turtles & Help to Build a Hatchery

A strong start to the season

This year’s turtle nesting season kicked off early, with our first nests appearing in January. Even more exciting, these early nests were all hawksbill turtles — a critically endangered species and a rare sight on our beaches last year.

Not only are hawksbill hatchlings smaller and extra delicate, but we’ve already recorded more nests at the start of this season than we did in the entire previous year.

A very promising sign for the population here on the Gilis:

- 9 Hawksbill
- 1 Green Turtle
- 12 Olive Ridley
- 1 Unidentified nest

What we’ve prepared

Ahead of the season, we focused on improving both protection and education:

• Designed and built new protective cages for nests
  → Handmade, more durable, and easier to transport across the island (bike-friendly, of course)
• Began targeted outreach in key nesting areas
  → Prioritising workshops where hatching activity is expected first
• Delivered a large-scale training workshop
  → Over 30 staff members from Frii, Rabbit Jump, Window Bar, and Hula Bar participated
  → Focus: turtle awareness, ethical interaction, and guest education

Turtle releases & growing pressures

With nesting activity increasing, we’re also seeing a rise in tourist interest around hatchings and releases.

While this is a great opportunity for awareness, it also brings challenges:

• Crowding around hatchlings
• Handling or obstructing turtles
• Stress and injury risks during their journey to the ocean

Our focus this season:

• Educating tourists on safe viewing practices
• Ensuring hatchlings have a clear, stress-free path to the sea
• Training and recruiting more volunteers to support rangers on busy nights

The goal is balance: meaningful experiences for visitors, without compromising turtle welfare.

What we aim to do next

This season, we’re pushing for deeper engagement and stronger community involvement.

Key priorities:

• Increase tourist awareness before and during their stay
• Teach people:
• How to report turtle sightings properly
• How to identify species
• Best practices for in-water and beach interactions
• Increase in community [togethership] participation and support.
• Working with the Peoples Front of Gili Trawangan community leaders to broaden understanding and to start raising awareness about the beach obstruction issues.

We’re expanding education with tourist turtle evenings around:

• Turtle lifecycles
• Local threats
• Ethical alternatives to harmful practices
• Hatchery understanding
• Safe snorkeling behavior

What this season is already showing us

Two major trends are emerging:

• Olive ridley turtles appear to be returning in strong numbers
• Hawksbill nesting is significantly up from last year

• We will have more issues with beach clubs, furniture and structures on the beach

We hope that witnessing these moments firsthand inspires visitors to become stronger advocates for ethical wildlife interactions.

Community highlight: Easter Market success

We hosted an educational and fundraising stand at Manta Dive during the Easter Market.

Highlights:

• Collaborative ocean-themed mural painting (with participants of all ages!)
• Interactive activities like:
• Turtle beach games
• Beach clean bingo
• Colourings & drawing station

Impact:

• Raised 1.5 million IDR through merchandise sales
• Engaged 30+ visitors in conservation activities and conversations

A fun and meaningful way to connect with the community.

A small win for 104 hawksbill hatchlings!

One of the most impactful moments this quarter came from a rapid-response situation in North Gili Trawangan.

• 104 hatchlings had been collected and kept in a paddling pool
• The intention: raise them for 5 months before release

While well-meaning, this practice is harmful:

• Prevents proper lung development
• Causes energy depletion from constant swimming
• Reduces survival chances in the wild

What happened next:

• Our emergency network picked up the case via social media
• We coordinated with tourists that had shared posts, local business owners, and rangers
• Delivered on-the-spot education and guidance

Outcome:

• All hatchlings were released safely the same evening
• Ideal conditions: low light, minimal disturbance, perfect tide

Most importantly, local stakeholders were open, receptive, and willing to adapt.

Looking ahead,

This season is shaping up to be one of growth — not just in turtle numbers, but in awareness, collaboration, and community responsibility.

Every nest, every hatchling, and every conversation is part of building a stronger future for turtles on the Gilis.

And we’re just getting started.

Please if you can continue to support our project to protect Gili turtles, share our report, donate to save a turtle nest, and spread the news of the Proyek Penyu team in Gili Trawangan!

Links:

• Proyek Penyu turtle instagram page