Conservation
The Vamizi Turtles
'There's a long way to go, but it would be nice to think we've made it at least to the water's edge'
Over a hundred turtles nest on Vamizi Island each year – an average of two a week, making Vamizi the first home for two species: green and hawksbill turtles. Three other species are found in the region.
All of these species are listed as either endangered or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Turtle survival is one of nature’s big lotteries in the best conditions and humans have made it considerably harder. They are poached for their meat and their shells; they are often caught in fishermen’s nets and drowned; plastic waste in the sea chokes many to death.
Given the rapid decline in turtle numbers, the Zoological Society of London concluded that Vamizi Island was a significant nesting area, so the Maluane Project, Vamizi Island’s conservation arm, set up a conservation project, now running for eight years.
Vamizi's turtles have four full time rangers and a marine biologist looking after them: they protect nests, nurture hatchlings, spread the turtle word through the local community and encourage the island’s guests to get involved – often literally.
By collecting daily data, the team also contributes to a scientific body of research that may ultimately mean the difference between survival and extinction for these creatures
They also fundraise for the conservation project as a whole and to support a satellite tracking programme, where a few of the Vamizi turtles have been tagged to trace their journeys to and from Vamizi.
It's all part of Vamizi's quest to make tourism work for conservation. Like many grand schemes, there's a long way to go, but it would be nice to think we've made it, like the hatchling turtles, at least to the water’s edge.