Saving Turtles at the Fortress Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka

Did you know that the warm Indian Ocean waters around Sri Lanka’s coastline are home to five of the world’s seven species of sea turtles – six of which are in serious danger of extinction? The southern beaches of Sri Lanka have long been a source of retreat for Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Loggerhead and the Olive Ridley turtle that come onto the warm sands of the beaches to lay their eggs. Once the eggs hatch, they toddle their way towards the waters of the ocean and can return to the same beach some 20 or even 30 years later to lay their own eggs – but most of them don’t survive long enough to reproduce.

In aid of these turtles whose numbers are dwindling around the world, the Fortress Resort & Spa has launched a turtle conservation project aiming to ensure as many of these turtles are able to reproduce and get their hatchlings to the water safely.

About the Turtle Conservation Project

Marine turtles have been around longer than the dinosaurs but in recent years, due to poor fishing practises and poaching, the population of marine turtles have decreased alarmingly from millions down to just seven remaining species. The Turtle Conservation Project run by the Fortress Resort & Spa aims to help build up the numbers in the following ways:

• Purchasing eggs from the local fishermen at a higher price than they’d receive at the market
• Building enclosures to protect the nests from stray dogs and monitor lizards
• Helping the newly hatched baby turtles reach the safety of the waters

How can you help?

Guests staying at the Fortress Resort & Spa are invited to visit the turtle hatchery and contribute to the welfare and protection of these unusual sea creatures. You can help by:

• Volunteering to return the hatchlings to the water by hand at night-time.
• Purchasing Relax and Release (R&R) merchandise – proceeds go towards the project

Book your trip during the breeding season (September through to mid-April on the west coast and February to June on the east coast) and contribute to this worthy cause. Browse our offers online or chat to one of our Sri Lanka experts on 0203 131 7722.