In December, a chance discovery on a reef in Laamu Atoll revealed the hidden threat of ghost gear in Maldivian waters. From a single abandoned net to a tiny olive ridley post-hatchling fighting for survival, this story highlights why the North-East monsoon has become entanglement season for sea turtles in the Maldives.
Already resolved to help sea turtles this year? Love that for you. If not, consider this your sign! Here are 10 actionable ways (some small, some big) to show the ocean some sea-rious love in 2026.
Learn how Kenya’s small-scale fishers are working with ORP to test LED lights on fishing nets to reduce sea turtle bycatch. This community-driven conservation project aims to protect vulnerable sea turtles while supporting coastal livelihoods.
Discover what fibropapillomatosis (FP) is, why it threatens sea turtles worldwide, and how research, monitoring, and conservation efforts – including a hopeful tumour regression case in Kenya – are helping protect these endangered marine reptiles.
Sandra, a passionate 22 year-old change maker, reflects on her internship experience with ORP Kenya and shares her thoughts in a 10-question conversation on conservation.
For any species to survive, reproduction is key – and sea turtles are no exception. But when sea turtle eggs fail to hatch, what’s really happening inside the shell? Researcher Alessia Lavigne has adapted cutting-edge fertility assessment methods to find answers to this mystery and open doors for conservation of threatened turtle species.
Historically, L. Gaadhoo set an example for managing and monitoring natural resources locally with the active involvement of the community. Through our Sea Turtle Beach Guardian Programme in Laamu Atoll, we are hopeful that community members will once again take an active role in sea turtle conservation in the atoll.
Olive Ridley Project (ORP) recently attached Telonics satellite tags onto two olive ridley sea turtles that were in our care: Autumn and Pickle. But what is satellite tagging, what can it tell us about animal behaviour, and how can it help our efforts in the conservation of sea turtles?
Heidi was one of our most widely loved sea turtle patients. He was admitted to the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre in 2018 with severe ghost gear entanglement injuries and was deemed un-releasable due to one missing and one non-functional front flipper. He was transferred to Plymouth, UK, to live out his days in the National Marine Aquarium.
In October, Olive Ridley Project hosted Vaavoshi festival, Maldives’ first multi-atoll sea turtle festival, in collaboration with schools across eight different atolls. Complete with educational talks, song and dance, fun parades, mural making and beach cleanups – the festival truly captured the spirit of finding community in conservation.
