Along Kenya’s coastline, community led efforts are giving endangered sea turtles a fighting chance, as locals like Teresia Njeri rescue, educate, and protect, proving conservation thrives when those closest to nature lead
By Bird Story Agency
Along the sunlit shores of Watamu, a coastal town on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline, Teresia Njeri signals her team.
Together, they lift a large green sea turtle, weighing 105 kilograms, into a reinforced sling. Waves crash softly, the salt tang in the air, as the group moves in unison. A pause. Then the turtle is released, pushing through the surf before disappearing beneath the waves.
For Njeri, 26, each release is more than routine. It is a reminder of the fragile bond between humans and the ocean, and of the community’s growing role in protecting it.
Njeri is part of a new generation of Kenyan conservationists reshaping marine protection along the coast.
As Marine Education Coordinator at Local Ocean Conservation (LOC), she is helping shift the work from foreign-led projects to locally driven initiatives, giving communities ownership over their environment.
Watamu, located 105 kilometres north of Mombasa, is home to some of Kenya’s most important nesting and foraging habitats for sea turtles, within the Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve.
Njeri’s connection to the ocean began years before she joined LOC. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her career in hospitality, and volunteering through her aunt’s network introduced her to conservation.
“The ocean first became personal to me when I visited Watamu. My aunt explained the importance of the ocean, and that sparked my journey into sea turtle conservation,” she says.
Today, she coordinates community education programmes, oversees turtle rescue activities, and leads hands-on tours for tourists and local youth, teaching about marine biodiversity, threats to the ecosystem, and the role healthy oceans play in supporting fisheries, tourism, and local livelihoods.
In the past, turtles caught accidentally in fishing nets were often eaten or sold. Today, a 24-hour rescue hotline allows fishermen to contact LOC for immediate support.
Injured turtles are taken to the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, which now has nine tanks and a treatment clinic. Injuries range from net abrasions and hook wounds to spear-gun punctures, with animals monitored until safe to release.
Community participation has been key. Fishermen like Muhammed ba Mkuu from Uyombo village, who once doubted the initiative, now actively call LOC whenever a turtle is caught. “Whenever I accidentally catch a turtle, I make sure to call the LOC team immediately. Everyone understands the importance of protecting turtles,” he says.
The African Union and UNDP estimate that Africa’s Blue Economy, including fisheries, tourism, renewable energy, and transport, could generate up to US$405 billion and 57 million jobs by 2030 if managed sustainably, underlining the economic importance of healthy marine ecosystems.
LOC’s work has facilitated more than 24,000 turtle rescues along the Kenyan coast. Fishermen receive a small compensation of 200 to 300 Kenyan shillings to cover phone costs and time.
Kenya’s Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (2025) and Kenya Wildlife Service enforce strict protection: poaching or trading in sea turtles can lead to life imprisonment or fines of up to Ksh 100 million.
Navigating male-dominated spaces of fishermen and marine rescue teams has shaped Njeri’s leadership style. “I’ve learned authority doesn’t have to be loud or aggressive. People respond best when they feel respected,” she says.
Community-led initiatives now operate along much of Kenya’s coastline, from Lamu to Diani, and beyond. In Sierra Leone, similar programmes have documented hundreds of nesting sites and released over 38,000 hatchlings.
Locally, LOC collaborates with veterinarians and the Kenya Wildlife Service to safeguard marine protected areas.
The work carries emotional strain. “The hardest part is seeing a turtle too injured to survive,” Njeri says. Her team monitors 50 to 100 nests annually and has treated over 800 turtles. Yet, for her, progress matters more than perfection.
Sea turtles remain globally threatened. Hawksbill and Kemp’s Ridley turtles are Critically Endangered; the Green Sea Turtle has seen a 28 percent population increase since the 1970s.
Marine biologist Joey Ngunu, who contributed to Kenya’s National Sea Turtle Conservation and Management frameworks, emphasizes local knowledge.
“Turtles always nest where they were born. A turtle can swim thousands of kilometres and return to her birth beach. Africans have lived with wildlife for generations; we naturally know how to conserve it. The threats are industrialisation and commercial fishing,” he says.
For Njeri, community education is the most meaningful work. “A good day is when people understand how their choices affect sea turtles. Even if funding disappears, the program would continue because of the trust and respect built with the community,”.
