Undercurrent is Saving Olive Ridley Turtles

COVID hurt endless environmental businesses, including one in Bali run by locals who pay others a few cents for bringing them unhatched turtle eggs that they otherwise would take home and eat. Supported by roughly $10,000/year by tourists who stumble across it, by September 2020, Saba Asri Sea Turtle Conservation's income had dropped to only $450 for the year. And newly laid turtle eggs were in trouble.

That is, until Undercurrent's Man In Bali assessed the project and its needs and reported back. After careful vetting, we provided two grants, $5000 last fall and $3000 in May, to ensure they could continue to operate. They paid off debt to egg collectors, purchased thousands of more eggs, and also built a second safe hatching spot so they can hatch even more eggs.

SASTC has been saving, hatching, strengthening, and releasing Olive Ridley sea turtles since 2007 from eggs gathered on the black sand beaches around the village of Saba, Gianyar, Bali. It was started by a local fisherman, Made Kikik, who began collecting turtle eggs on his beach property to protect them from feral dogs. He and others initially built a crude pen inside in which they reburied the eggs they had rescued. After the eggs hatched, they would put the hatchlings in buckets and feed them chopped-up shrimp and fish. After two or three months, they were strong enough to be released into the ocean.

Last year, out of 32,000 eggs, they managed to release 20,000 hatchlings, which not only gave the little guys a chance at a life but also helped raise awareness among the local population about the importance of conserving turtles and the reefs.

If Bali is on your dive travel list, stop in and lend a hand. sabaasribali.com