Protecting Sea Turtles on Sipora

The leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle worldwide and one of the most endangered. These magnificent animals are known for their long-distance migrations across entire oceans. Unlike other sea turtles, they have a soft, leathery shell rather than hard plates on their back, which gives the species its name.

On the Indonesian islands of Sipora and Nias, a small and little-known subpopulation nests, which is classified as Data Deficient ; therefore, little is known about its size and development. However, its future is under severe threat due to decades of poaching for meat and the harvesting of eggs for consumption. The number of sexually mature females in this subpopulation is estimated at fewer than 1,000 individuals - a figure that underscores how urgently they need protection.

Since 2017, the Turtle Foundation (www.turtle-foundation.org) has been implementing conservation measures for sea turtles on Sipora in cooperation with the local partner organization Yayasan Penyu Indonesia. The project aims to increase the animals’ chances of successful reproduction. Several actions are conducted to achieve this: night patrols, relocation of threatened nests to a hatchery (a protected beach area) and community projects in close collaboration with local villages to promote turtle conservation.

With our donation, we support the continuation of the project during the 2025/2026 nesting season.