On the sandy shores of Watamu, a small seaside town along Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, a dedicated team is waging a quiet but determined battle to save one of the ocean’s oldest creatures, sea turtles.
Local Ocean Conservation (LOC), a grassroots NGO founded in 1997 by a group of volunteers, has grown into a lifeline for these endangered animals. Over the past 28 years, the organization has rescued more than 24,000 turtles from threats ranging from fishing nets to plastic pollution and poachers.
“Turtles are definitely survivors,” says marine biologist Joey Ngunu, LOC’s technical manager. “But human pressure is increasing — plastic, commercial fishing, poaching — and they need help now more than ever.”
At the heart of the effort are people like Fikiri Kiponda, 47, who has worked with LOC for 16 years. “Every time I release a turtle, it’s a great joy,” he says. “My motivation grows stronger each time.”
The charity, operating largely on donations, compensates local fishermen who turn in injured turtles rather than discarding them. Over 1,000 fishermen now participate in the scheme, motivated more by conservation than the modest financial reward.
Injured turtles are taken to LOC’s rehabilitation clinic, where health coordinator Lameck Maitha and his team treat conditions like broken bones, fibro papillomatosis tumors, and injuries from entanglement. One current patient, Safari, an Olive Ridley turtle flown in from the north, is recovering after losing a flipper to a net injury.
Plastic pollution is a growing threat. Ingested plastic can cause gas buildup, leaving turtles buoyant and unable to dive. “We’re seeing more floating turtles,” Maitha notes. “The ocean has so much plastic now.”
Beyond rescues, LOC safeguards 50 to 100 nesting sites each season from rising tides and human interference. Turtles return to the same beach where they were born to lay eggs, a journey repeated every few years. The first hatchling to emerge from the nest is always nicknamed Kevin by the team, a small tradition that captures the hope and heart behind their work.
With only one in a thousand turtles surviving to adulthood, every saved life counts. As sea levels rise and marine pollution surges, the work of Local Ocean Conservation has become nothing short of vital, not just for Kenya’s turtles, but for the future of marine biodiversity in the region.
Written By Rodney Mbua
