Name and adopt a sea turtle for yourself or as a gift
Did you know that every sea turtle has a unique pattern of facial scales – like a fingerprint?
We have built one of the world’s largest databases of identified wild sea turtles – over 8,400 individuals and counting – through our research. Many of these sea turtles don’t have names yet. This is your chance to change that.
What makes this turtle adoption truly special?
- You get to name a specific identified sea turtle
- If your adopted sea turtle is spotted again in the wild, we will send you an email update – complete with the latest photo and any new details we have recorded
Your digital adoption package includes:
- A personalised digital adoption certificate
- A fact-sheet about the sea turtles
- Email updates on your adopted sea turtle*
- You and your adopted sea turtle featured on our website
- A gift card for your gift recipient
*Please note that we cannot guarantee sightings of wild sea turtles
How to name and adopt a turtle in 3 easy steps
- Pick your favourite sea turtle from the gallery below and decide on a name.
- Make an annual donation of £50, (and an extra one-off donation if you like).
- Complete the rest of the form with your details to finalise your adoption. Gift adoptions are also available.
Please note: We are a small charity, so it may take up to 5 business days for us to email your digital adoption package to you. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
More information about your adoption:
- For data protection and compliance purposes, we do not contact gift recipients directly. The digital adoption package makes it easy for you to share it with the person you are gifting it to by email or printing and giving it to them in person.
- An annual donation of £50 covers the symbolic adoption and naming of a unique identified wild sea turtle. You will receive updates with photos and sighting details when we spot your sea turtle again for one year.
- When you renew your adoption after one year, you will continue to receive email updates for another year.
- Please note that these are wild animals and we cannot guarantee sightings or the frequency of photo identification opportunities. However, our dedicated team of biologists and volunteers are in the water daily, searching for and photographing these magnificent creatures.
Select your favourite sea turtle to adopt
Submit your own sea turtle photos
If you find and photograph a sea turtle that is new to our database during a dive or a snorkel, or one that is yet to be named, you can choose to adopt that specific sea turtle. To submit your own sea turtle photos for possible adoption, please email your photos to: seaturtleid@oliveridleyproject.org
We need:
- One clear image of each side of the sea turtle’s face
- Details of the time and the location of the sighting (ideally GPS coordinates)
Please note that blurry photos cannot be used.
Protecting sea turtles and their habitats takes a holistic, long-term approach. We combine rescue and conservation medicine, clinical and scientific research, and educational outreach to address the many threats sea turtles face. It’s complex, ongoing, and costly work – but it’s making a real difference. By symbolically adopting one of our identified sea turtles, you’ll play a direct role in helping us protect this threatened species and the ocean they call home.
