How Local Fishermen Are Helping Protect Sea Turtles Along Kenya’s Coast
- Thomas Sagimo
- May 12
- 3 min read
Table of Contents
Community at the Heart of Conservation
Conservation has never been the work of one person, one organisation, or one idea. At its core, it is about people, especially the communities that live close to the ocean, depend on it for their livelihoods, and understand its rhythms. At Ocean Sole we believe lasting marine conservation can only succeed through strong community partnerships. Since 2024, we have worked closely with the Kwa Chambo Fishermen along Bofa Beach in Kilifi to help protect nesting sea turtles that come ashore along this coastline.
Turtle rangers from Kwa Chambo fishermen group posing after a successful morning patrol.
Training Turtle Rangers Along Bofa Beach
We have trained the entire fishermen’s group in sea turtle conservation, equipping them with knowledge about sea turtle nesting behaviour, nesting ecology, and the challenges these animals face in the wild.
The training also focused on beach patrol techniques and proper sea turtle handling protocols, ensuring all members can safely respond to nesting events, stranded turtles, and other conservation situations while minimising stress and harm to sea turtles.
Rehema posing with group of fishermen after training on sea turtle conservation, using ocean sole sculpture to demonstrate certain aspects.
2025: A Year of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
2025 a year of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle.
So far in 2025, we have recorded five Olive Ridley sea turtle nests along this coastline.
The Olive Ridley is a turtle of quiet contradictions. It is the smallest sea turtle found in Kenyan waters, yet it faces enormous challenges in the wild. The species is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Adult Olive Ridleys have a broad, relatively flat carapace, while hatchlings are born with three keels running along their carapace and two along the plastron underneath.
An Olive Ridley hatchling crawls back to the sea.
Protecting Nests Along the Kilifi Coastline
Out of the five Olive Ridley nests recorded so far, four were carefully relocated to safer ground, while one nest was protected in situ.
During each nesting event, the turtle rangers first observed the nesting female from a safe distance, allowing her to complete the nesting process without disturbance. Once the turtle had safely returned to the ocean, the rangers carefully identified the nest location — especially nests laid below the high tide line, where they faced the risk of flooding.
For every nest, important data such as nesting date, location, egg count, and relocation details were recorded for monitoring purposes.
Baraka and Salim relocating olive ridley nest to safer group above high tides.
Threats Facing Nesting Sea Turtles
Threats to nesting turtle on our beaches.
Despite the ongoing efforts to protect nesting sea turtles along Bofa Beach, several threats still remain for the Olive Ridley turtles that come ashore to lay their eggs.
One of the major challenges is artificial lighting from nearby beach houses. Bright floodlights can disorient nesting females during the nesting process and pose an even greater danger to hatchlings.
Naturally, hatchlings rely on the glow of the open horizon over the ocean to guide them safely to sea. However, artificial lights can confuse them, causing them to crawl inland toward buildings instead of the ocean, leaving them vulnerable to dehydration, exhaustion, and predators.
Another threat comes from mongooses living within the surrounding beach vegetation. These animals often burrow into turtle nests, especially when the eggs are close to hatching. During our monitoring efforts, one of the recorded nests was unfortunately destroyed by mongooses before the hatchlings could emerge.
These challenges highlight the importance of continued community awareness, beach monitoring, and collaboration with local stakeholders to create safer nesting environments for sea turtles along the Kilifi coastline.
Why Community Conservation Matters
Lasting sea turtle conservation is only possible when local communities are part of the solution. The people who live and work along the coastline are often the first to witness nesting activity, environmental changes, and threats facing marine life.
By working alongside the Kwa Chambo Fishermen, we are helping build a network of local ocean stewards who actively protect nesting beaches and vulnerable hatchlings along Kenya’s coastline. Community-led conservation not only strengthens protection efforts for sea turtles, but also creates shared responsibility, local knowledge, and long-term impact for both people and the planet.
Support Community-Led Sea Turtle Conservation
Every protected nest, beach patrol, and rescued hatchling is possible because of community conservation efforts along Kenya’s coastline.
By supporting Ocean Sole, you help protect vulnerable sea turtles, fund local conservation programs, and empower coastal communities creating lasting environmental impact.
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