Soneva and Olive Ridley Project (ORP) announces the opening of the Noonu Atoll Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre in the Maldives. Located at Soneva Jani, the center is the largest of ORP’s three sea turtle rehabilitation centers in the island nation. The center serves as a step-down facility for patients that do not require intensive veterinary care and are being prepared to return to the wild.
In the 1970s, it was estimated that 640,000 tonnes of derelict fishing gear, also known as ghost gear, were produced each year and accounted for around 10% of ocean plastics. Since then, this number is expected to have increased. The vulnerable olive ridley sea turtle, in particular, is often found entangled in ghost nets or floating injured on the surface of Maldivian waters.
In response, Dr Martin Stelfox founded the Olive Ridley Project in 2013 to better understand the situation and help rehabilitate and release injured sea turtles. Since opening its first marine turtle rescue center in 2017, the Olive Ridley Project has rehabilitated and released 141 injured sea turtles.
Collaborating with ORP since 2017, Soneva Jani recently welcomed Neus Segura as the new Sea Turtle Biologist, along with Maldivian intern Nawha Ibrahim, to manage the center with direct and daily supervision from the ORP Veterinary Team; the largest and most experienced in the Maldives. Additionally, the team is on hand to help remove ghost nets from the ocean, assist in the rescue of injured sea turtles, monitor nesting activity and contribute valuable sea turtle Photo-IDs to build a database of sea turtles in the Noonu Atoll.
Guests at Soneva Jani are welcome to learn about conservation efforts and the turtle rehabilitation process with guided tours of the center, where they will be introduced to the resident sea turtle patients and learn about their recovery stories. Expert-led discussions with the team offer behind-the-scenes insights into the threats that sea turtles face and the daily care provided at the center. These educational experiences provide a platform for guests to engage with local marine conservation efforts, promoting greater awareness for sea turtle conservation and an understanding of the crucial role of rescue and rehabilitation centers around the world.