Mission & Programs

SEE Turtles connects people with sea turtles in meaningful, personal, and memorable ways. We help the sea turtle community connect, grow, and thrive by supporting community-based conservation efforts.

Our programs provide funding, resources, and tools to protect endangered sea turtle species in the Global South.

  • Billion Baby Turtles provides support for important turtle nesting beaches around the world. 

  • Too Rare To Wear is a campaign working to end the demand for turtleshell products.

  • Our conservation trips provide volunteer and financial support for conservation efforts.

  • Our educational programs help schools, travelers, and the public learn about these incredible animals and how to protect them through presentations, podcasts, webinars, our blog, and other ways.

  • Our Sea Turtles & Plastic campaign helps coastal communities get plastic waste out of sea turtle habitats around the world.

  • We promote equity in the sea turtle community through our Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund

  • We also coordinate the annual Sea Turtle Week each June to raise awareness about these species and the threats they face in partnership with dozens of organizations around the world.


History

SEE Turtles was launched in 2008 as the world's first effort to protect these species through ecotourism by conservationists Dr. Wallace J. Nichols and Brad Nahill. Originally begun as an Ocean Conservancy project, SEE Turtles was later fiscally-sponsored by the Ocean Foundation and most recently Oceanic Society. In 2016, SEE Turtles became an independent 501c3 nonprofit based in Portland, Oregon. In recognition of our work to protect sea turtles around the world, the organization was awarded the prestigious Changemakers Award from the World Travel & Tourism Council and the Skal Sustainable Travel Award, and a finalist for the Go Blue Awards.


Conservation Success:

Since our launch, we have helped save sea turtles in many different ways:

  • Billion Baby Turtles has saved more than 10 million turtle hatchlings at more than 60 nesting beach conservation projects in 25 countries. We have provided more than 200 grants to date, totaling more than US $1 million in funding.

  • More than 1,500 people have visited turtle projects, supporting conservation and local communities. More than 500 volunteers have completed more than 5,000 work shifts at turtle projects.

  • We have generated more than US $1 Million in benefits for turtle conservation and local communities through tours & donations.

  • Too Rare To Wear is a campaign to end the demand for turtleshell products. Our coalition includes more than 150 tourism and conservation organizations and the campaign has helped to dramatically reduce the sale of these products in Colombia, and has reached more than 10 million people about this issue.

  • Our Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund has provided scholarships to young researchers from Costa Rica, Venezuela, Indonesia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, and Brazil to further their careers working in sea turtle conservation.

  • Our Sea Turtles & Plastic campaign has provided funding for 12 projects to remove more than 100,000 lbs of plastic from turtle habitats and turn the waste into products that are sold to support turtle conservation and local residents.

  • Our annual Sea Turtle Week celebration unites the conservation community to educate the public about these animals and the threats they face, reaching millions of people each year and dozens of partner organizations.


SEE Turtles Annual Reports


 

Awards & Recognition

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SEE Turtles IS A PROUD MEMBER OF:

 
 

Photos: Neil Ever Osborne