Sea turtle clinical facilities, Maldives

ORP’s clinical facilities

Sea Turtle Health Institute of the Maldives, Lhaviyani Atoll

The Sea Turtle Health Institute (STHI) at Jawakara Islands Maldives is ORP’s flagship campus for clinical care, professional training, and ocean health research, all guided by the One Health model that connects the wellbeing of animals, humans, and ecosystems.

Every part of the facility has been built purposely to maximise patient care, reduce patient stress, and ensure a smooth as well as efficient clinical delivery system.

The hospital tanks are round in shape to prevent injury and can be adjusted in depth and water quality to suit each patient’s needs. Each tank also includes special viewing ports and 24/7 camera monitoring for non-invasive observation – a first of its kind. STHI has two intensive care unit (ICU) tanks in the critical care area located at the back of the facility away from public eye, providing quiet, focused care to the most vulnerable patients. This marks the first sea turtle ICU in the Indian Ocean region.

Inside the hospital and research area, our treatment, diagnostic, laboratory, and surgical spaces are all designed for seamless workflow and safety. From simple therapies to advanced, molecular-based precision medicine, our diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities allow us to offer world-class care.

In addition, STHI has a spacious classroom, designed to host everything from student learning sessions to professional workshops and small symposia.

STHI will also become home to our Sea Turtle Veterinary Assistant Diploma Programme in the future. This first-of-its-kind collaboration with the Maldives National University will provide training to both Maldivian and international students in sea turtle care and husbandry, offering a globally recognised credential for those pursuing careers in this field.

Together, these elements capture our vision of a ‘Sea Turtle University’ – a hub for advanced clinical efforts, research, and professional training, that stands amongst the most comprehensive facilities for sea turtle conservation medicine in the world.

Funding & Founding

We would like to thank Jawakara Islands Maldives for hosting us and for giving The Sea Turtle Health Institute a home.

Sea Turtle Health Institute facility permit: ERA/2026/RC-01

Marine Turtle Rescue Centre, Baa Atoll

We opened the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre (MTRC) in February 2017 in partnership with Coco Collection at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu in Baa Atoll. It was the first fully equipped, veterinary surgeon-led rescue centre for sea turtles in the Maldives. Today, it remains a unique facility, treating mostly olive ridley turtles and conducting clinical as well as sea turtle health research, grounded in a One Health approach linking human, animal, and ecosystem health.

The Marine Turtle Rescue Centre has seven tanks of varying sizes, where our patients spend the majority of their time while under our care. A large main tank is specifically used for selected patients that are undergoing different types of diving therapy which require more space and depth for our clinicians to evaluate them. Two smaller tanks serve as ‘Intensive Care Unit’ tanks. They are used for critical patients or those recovering from surgery as they require constant observation by our veterinary surgeons.

All the tanks are supplied by fresh sea water directly from the ocean in a fully automated sand filtration and water-flow regulation system. This optimises water quality and forms a crucial component of the health and well-being of our patients. The system was developed and designed by Coco Collection’s engineer team. 

Volunteers & Visitors

We run a sea turtle volunteer programme, at the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre open to anyone above the age of 18.

Guests at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu are very welcome to visit the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre between 10am & 4pm every day. Guests can also watch patient feeding every day at around 2pm.

Funding & Founding

The Marine Turtle Rescue Centre became a reality thanks to the dreams, hard work, and generous support of many individuals and organisations. We are deeply grateful to each and every one.

We especially thank Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu for hosting and continuously supporting us, the Pacsafe Turtle Fund for their initial grant for medical equipment, and OceanCare for long-term funding of essential medical supplies and veterinary services.

A heartfelt thank you goes to our incredible turtle patient adopters and donors – your support enables us to keep the Rescue Centre running. And to our dedicated volunteers, who help care for our patients every day – we couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

Marine Turtle Rescue Centre facility permit: ERA/2024/RC-04