Giant Sea Turtle in Kuta Beach, Bali

Kuta Beach in Bali is one of the beautiful beaches in Indonesia that becomes tourism destination. Since 1999, Kuta Beach has also been known as one of the sites for the endangered species, sea turtles to nest and lay their eggs. As ProFauna Indonesia, a wildlife protection organization, working together with Kuta Beach Security Guards, locally known as Satgas Pantai Kuta, have run the Sea Turtles Protection Programs to save the nesting sea turtles to lay their eggs, relocate the clutches to the hatchery, until release the sea turtle babies to the sea. Kuta Beach and sea turtles are inseparable. ProFauna therefore, always involves the beach visitors to release the sea turtle hatchlings to the beach while promoting the turtle protection campaign.

Same as last year, ProFauna joined the Kuta Karnival in 2009 to commemorate the Bali Bombing in 2001 and promote Bali as tourism destination. On 27 September 2009, ProFauna and Kuta Beach Security Guards brought a three-meter sea turtle-like statue and joined the parade. The giant turtle was intended to symbolise that sea turtles are part of Kuta Beach, Bali. ProFauna members and volunteers handed sea turtle protection stickers to the spectators for free. During the festival held from 19 to 27 September 2009, ProFauna and the team also held exhibition about sea turtle information and protection campaign while raising funds where the team put donation box and sold merchandises.

Many people enjoyed the exhibition and some were surprised that Kuta Beach was the nesting site for sea turtle to lay their eggs, not to mention that the exhibition visitors donated pretty much money for ProFauna to continue its Sea Turtle Protection Program.

From January to September 2009, ProFauna has saved 4,905 sea turtle eggs from 54 clutches and released 4,409 sea turtle hatchlings. Compared with 2008, the saved sea turtle eggs in 2009 raises to 254%. Only one from 1,000 sea turtles will survive, save sea turtles and support ProFauna.