Back home: 9 turtles return to the sea
Nine turtles handed over alive by San Bernardo's fishers returned home, accompanied by Los Ecosabios.
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Fundación Tortugas del Mar · since 2014
We prefer them alive and at home: the sea.
We research, educate and protect the sea turtles of the Colombian Caribbean and Pacific, together with the communities that care for them.
What we've achieved together
Every number is a turtle back home
1,000+
turtles given a second chance in San Bernardo
172
turtles returned to the sea in 2024
5 of 7
sea turtle species live in Colombia
100+
turtles in the first year of Nidos de Vida
142
olive ridley hatchlings reached the sea in Mecana
since 2014
working for sea turtles
Why they matter
Ancient beings who teach us
Sea turtles survived the dinosaurs. Today they depend on us, and there is still time.
Foto: National Marine Sanctuaries / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) Architects of the reefs
Hawksbills eat sponges and clear space for new corals to grow. A reef with hawksbills is a reef that breathes.
Foto: Nikdahl / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) Gardeners of the seagrass meadows
Green turtles trim the seagrass meadows and keep them healthy. Fish, and the fishing of coastal communities, depend on them.
Foto: Jerome Bourjea / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) Ancient beings who teach us
They have lived on the Blue Planet for millions of years. They are a flag for talking about tolerance, respect and love.
With the communities
The kids who grew up caring for turtles
In San Bernardo, Kenner and Alejandro started as children in the Puerto Caracol ecology group. Today they lead the turtles' biometrics and tagging. We call that generations of change. When communities get involved, protection multiplies.
Meet the communitiesGuardianes del Azul: the story of those who care for turtles from their own territory
A DivingLife Studios documentary about the true heroes, the communities who protect the beaches and the nests.
Official trailer · Full documentary coming soon · A DivingLife Studios production with Fundación Tortugas del Mar
Territories
Two coasts, one sea
We work in seven territories across the Colombian Caribbean and Pacific, always with the people who live there.
Explore the territories
Wherever you are
You can help too
You can care for the sea even from the mountains. Your gift counts, and so do your everyday choices.
Donate
Support the fieldwork with a monthly or one-time gift.
Don't buy carey
No jewelry, no combs, no souvenirs. Getting hawksbill shell means killing a turtle.
Ask about your fish
Do you know where and how it was caught? Bycatch is a major threat.
Travel responsibly
Before joining a "release", ask the right questions.
Shop at our store
100% of Mar ConSentido's profits go to conservation projects.
From the field
Foto: Fundación Tortugas del Mar 17 turtles start the year at home: THE SEA
We began 2026 with 17 turtles back home in the San Bernardo Archipelago.
Foto: Fundación Tortugas del Mar 26 turtles, a second chance at LIFE
In June 2025, 26 turtles returned to the sea in San Bernardo thanks to the fisher exchange program.
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Working together
We don't do any of this alone. Communities, fishers, children, the public and private sectors, academia and NGOs.
- Consejos Comunitarios
- COCOMASUR
- WIDECAST
- SEE Turtles
- Conservación Internacional
- Madreagua
- Punta Faro
- La Playita Isla Fuerte
- DivingLife Studios
- Parques Nacionales Naturales
- Armada de Colombia
- MinAmbiente
Logos coming soon
Meet the communitiesFollow us
Every release, every nest and every story, on our Instagram.
