From a Handful of Nests to 11 Million Hatchlings: A Journey from Sangalaki Across Indonesia

At night, Christine and Frank Zindel could hear the sea turtles beneath their bungalow on the Indonesian island of Sangalaki. The turtles were crawling up onto the beach, laying their precious eggs and camouflaging their nests. The very next morning, the couple witnessed egg collectors digging up all the nests laid the previous night – despite all sea turtles having been protected by law in Indonesia since 1990.

This was 1999. Sangalaki, a tiny island in the Derawan Archipelago in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province, is home to an important nesting population of green sea turtles. But decades of intensive egg collection had taken their toll. It is said that around 50 years earlier, up to 200 nests could be found on the island in a single night. When the Zindels visited, there were only around 10 to 15 left.

Back in Switzerland, they watched a documentary by Eberhard Meyer about the egg trade they had witnessed in Sangalaki. They contacted him and, in March 2000, together with other supporters, founded the Turtle Foundation in Germany. What began as a small group of committed volunteers soon grew into a long-term conservation effort across Indonesia.

Starting with 20 percent of the nests

Shortly afterwards, Reisa and Kevin Latorra became the first staff members of the Turtle Foundation on Sangalaki. The couple was supported by a team member from the local dive resort, Ben, who helped carry out the first protection measures. They lived in a bungalow at Sangalaki Dive Lodge, where turtles nested directly underneath their hut.

At first, protection was pragmatic. The team negotiated with egg collectors to leave 20 percent of the nests untouched. They also paid for additional nests to be moved into a hatchery. Diving guests helped finance the effort by “adopting” nests and received photographs of the hatchlings when they were released. It was an improvised start, but it marked the beginning of lasting protection.

The decisive breakthrough came at the end of 2001, when the local government agreed to protect all the turtle nests on Sangalaki. In January 2002, a separate ranger station was built, with locally trained rangers patrolling the beach several times a day. The rangers continued their work until 2012, when the local conservation authority took over protection of the island – an important sign that conservation had become locally established.

From one island to many

The work did not end on Sangalaki. In 2008, the protection programme expanded to the islands of Bilang-Bilangan and Mataha, followed by Belambangan and Sambit, all critical nesting sites for sea turtles in the region. Apart from green sea turtles, Bilang-Bilangan and Mataha are also occasional nesting grounds for hawksbill turtles. Across these projects, egg poaching fell dramatically.

The organisation itself evolved as well. In 2018, Yayasan Penyu Indonesia (YPI), the Turtle Foundation’s Indonesian sister organisation, was established to strengthen local capacity. Today, YPI employs 63 people, including 45 rangers, recruited and trained by YPI and the Turtle Foundation. Among them is Ben, who has remained a loyal member of the conservation team since its earliest days and now works as YPI’s Chief Ranger.

The work also expanded beyond the green and hawksbill turtles of the Derawan Archipelago in East Kalimantan. In 2018, the first Turtle Foundation project protecting leatherback turtles was established on Sipora Island, off Sumatra, followed by projects on Simeulue, Salaut Besar and Nias Islands.

Across 26 years of conservation work, the Turtle Foundation estimates that around 11 million green turtle hatchlings have emerged from their protected nests.

There is also reason for hope. In 2025, the IUCN announced that green sea turtles are no longer globally classified as Endangered, reflecting signs of recovery in populations around the world. This is a powerful reminder of what long-term conservation efforts, including those of the Turtle Foundation, can achieve. 

Protection is not always a straight line

There have also been serious setbacks. In 2024, the YPI uncovered organised nest theft on Bilang-Bilangan and Mataha involving some of its own rangers. Several employees were dismissed and replaced. The egg traders then tried to recruit the new rangers and, when that failed, attempted to reach the islands themselves to steal nests.

And when they did, the rangers caught a poacher excavating nests and held him until the police arrived. He was later sentenced to three years and six months in prison. One accomplice was subsequently caught; a third remains at large. Since then, no further nests have been stolen on the two islands.

At the same time, the nesting numbers have given reason for cautious optimism. In 2025, 2,885 green turtle nests were recorded on Mataha, compared with 594 in 2024. On Bilang-Bilangan, the number rose from 3,411 to 7,544.

It is too early to say how much of this increase is due to improved protection and how much is attributable to other factors. Continued monitoring is needed. But the progress is encouraging – and a reminder that conservation requires persistence.

Twenty-six years and counting

The story that began with a film crew and two dive tourists who could not ignore what they saw has become a long-term conservation effort rooted increasingly in local capacity and responsibility.

The islands may change, and so do the challenges and methods. But the goal remains the same: giving sea turtles a safe place to nest and thrive.

For Dr Hiltrud Cordes, who was involved from the early days and is now Programme Director and CEO of the Turtle Foundation, the central challenge remains clear: “The biggest threat is us, humans.”

Twenty-six years after those first steps on Sangalaki, the future of sea turtle conservation is still a work in progress. What started with a handful of protected nests has grown into a long-term conservation effort, with an estimated 11 million green turtle hatchlings emerging from protected nests over the years. It is a powerful reminder of what long-term commitment can achieve.

As we celebrate 25 years of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU, we showcase some of the people, initiatives and communities that have contributed to marine turtle conservation across the region. Visit our Story Map to discover their stories.