Shell-ebrating sea turtles: a World Turtle Day guide to the Maldives' ocean ambassadors

Discover five remarkable species thriving in Maldivian waters and culture.

Artwork: Dosain

23 May, 3:22 PM

Olive Ridley Project

On World Turtle Day, we celebrate the sea turtles of the Maldives by looking at their biology, the species found in the Maldives, the history of sea turtle conservation in the country, and the people working in the field!

Sea Turtle Biology

Sea turtles have existed on Earth since the days of the dinosaurs. While currently there are seven species (or types) of sea turtles in the world – the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead and olive ridley and Kemp’s ridley, fossil records show that there were many more species in the past. The current seven species are the last remaining members of a long and ancient evolutionary lineage – one that goes back to a common ancestor more than 110 million years ago. Each modern sea turtle species of the hard shelled variety is different from one another, having uniquely adapted to distinct environments and lifestyles. Many species of sea turtles are highly migratory, travelling hundreds or even thousands of miles between foraging (feeding) and nesting grounds.

However, since sea turtles belong to what is commonly referred to as the reptile group of animals – which also includes snakes, lizards, and crocodiles – they all share some common characteristics:

Scaly skin: this helps reptiles conserve moisture as most of them live in dry, sunny and/or salty environments

Poikilothermic: their body temperature varies and depends largely on the temperature of their surroundings

Air breathers: all reptiles are born with lungs and use them to exchange gas from the atmosphere

Oviparous: they lay eggs (although some snakes, chameleons and lizards also give birth to live young)

Sea Turtle Populations in Maldives

Seven out of the five remaining sea turtle species in the world can be found in the Maldives. Of these, the green sea turtle and hawksbill sea turtle have resident populations in the country, living amongst the reefs and seagrass, and nesting on the sandy beaches.

Green turtles: Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are the largest of all the hard-shelled sea turtles. They have a smooth, sub-circular to heart-shaped carapace (top shell), with colour varying from greenish-yellow to greyish-brown. To date, 1,770 green sea turtles have been identified in the Maldives through a Photo- Identification project that combines efforts from citizen scientists and trained professionals. Though fewer in sightings than the hawksbills, the greena turtle population seems to include more adults and they have been found to nest more frequently across the archipelago. In the ocean, green turtles, primarily vegetarian in their diet, can be spotted foraging on seagrass beds, keeping these verdant underwater fields healthy and fresh. In fact, green turtles are named so, because of their fat that takes a greenish hue due to their diet of seagrass and algae.Green turtles have been listed as endangered in the Maldives IUCN National Red List Assessment of Marine Reptiles.

Hawksbill turtles: The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) gets its name from its narrow, elongated head with a hawk-shaped beak. Its other prominent feature is the saw-like appearance of its shell margins with scutes streaked and marbled with amber, yellow, black, or brown, and a yellowish plastron. The hawksbill is one of the smaller species of sea turtles, and are often found foraging on sponges, soft coral or other invertebrates across the coral reefs of Maldives, helping maintain reef diversity.To date, 5.247 hawksbill turtles have been identified in the Maldives. However, the majority of identifiable hawksbill turtles are juveniles, which are not yet of reproductive size and age. Because sea turtles grow slowly, it takes time for enough individuals to reach maturity and support the recovery of populations affected by past declines in adult numbers. Today, hawksbill turtles nest only infrequently in the Maldives. As a result, they are classified as Critically Endangered in the Maldives' IUCN National Red List Assessment of Marine Reptiles.

Olive ridley turtlesThe olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles. The olive ridley gets its name from its heart-shaped, olive green coloured carapace. In the Maldives, olive ridley turtles are commonly found entangled in lost, abandoned, or discarded fishing gear, also known as ghost gear. During the seasonal transition to the Iruvai monsoon, they can often be found drifting through Maldivian waters as shifting currents and winds from the Bay of Bengal carry abandoned fishing nets, increasing the risk of entanglement. Previous research analysing specific genetic characteristics of these entangled turtles revealed that most of the entangled olive ridleys found in the Maldives belonged to Sri Lankan and eastern Indian populations.

Loggerhead turtlesLoggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are named after their exceptionally large heads.Their heart-shaped carapace is orange to reddish-brown with a yellowish-brown plastron. Loggerheads are rarely spotted in the Maldives, and definitive nesting activity has not been recorded in the country so far.

Leatherback turtles The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) – the largest of all sea turtle species and the largest living reptile – gets its name from its unique shell, which is made up of a thick, leathery skin embedded with small bony structures known as ossicles.The leathery shell is more flexible than those of it’s hard-shelled cousins, and allows the leatherback turtle to perform exceptionally deep dives to over 1,000m on a regular basis. In the Maldives, leatherbacks are rarely spotted in the wild and are not known to nest in the country.

Importance of Sea Turtles

Sea turtles play a vital role in the ocean’s food web, making them crucial to maintaining the health and balance of marine ecosystems. Since the ocean supplies food, fresh water, and more than half of the oxygen we breathe, protecting sea turtles goes beyond conservation, it's about safeguarding the planet’s future and our own survival.

While hawksbill turtles nurture coral reefs by foraging on fast-growing sponges and allowing space for baby corals to settle, green turtles maintain seagrass beds, which are important nursery habitats for reef fish and a vital carbon sink. These ecosystems are not only crucial to maintain the ocean, but they also act as effective barriers against storms and wave-surges, protecting coastal communities.

Additionally, the fragments of sea turtle egg shells left behind by hatchlings hold together soil on nesting beaches. The organic matter from unhatched eggs and dead hatchlings provide organic nutrients for beach flora.

Not only that, sea turtles also support food security - jellyfish feed on fish larvae and eggs, and leatherbacks ensure jellyfish populations are kept in check, leading to healthy and protected fish stocks. Both hawksbills and greens support fish nurseries in seagrass meadows and coral reefs.

Sea Turtles in Maldivian Culture

Sea turtles feature in Maldivian culture through stories, songs, and even in the currencies! Previously, sea turtles were featured in the 2rf coin - nowadays, the green sea turtle appears in the MVR 1,000 note. Additionally, sea turtle motifs can be spotted in branding, merchandising, and communications related to different sectors of Maldives – sea turtles even make an appearance in financial reports!

Like many coastal communities, Maldivians traditionally consumed sea turtle eggs and meat as part of their diet. Such customary practices were believed to be relatively sustainable since traditional methods of take were followed, often with checks and balances in place. However, with the advent of motorised fishing vessels and the introduction of tourism, an increase in exploitation of natural resources, including sea turtles, followed. Hawksbill turtles were specifically hunted for their beautiful, sun-burst shells, which were highly sought after in the international Bekko (tortoiseshell) trade. The Maldives, like many other Indian Ocean nations, was part of this international trade network and harvested shells for domestic sale and trade profit. There are anecdotal reports of sea turtles being boiled in hot water until their shell scutes detached, after which they were released back into the sea in the mistaken belief that the scutes would regenerate. The scutes were fashioned into ornaments, jewelry and souvenirs, which tourists leaving the Maldives would often purchase to take back home.

However, size limits on harvesting sea turtles for consumption and sale were imposed by the Maldivian government from 1996, followed by a ban on international trade in 1996.

Timeline for Sea Turtle Protections in the Maldives

Sea turtles received full legal protection in the Maldives in 2016. The following is an overview of the key steps taken towards their conservation:

1995-2015: Size limits imposed on turtle consumption

1996: Trade of sea turtles restricted

2006: Ban on sea turtle egg harvesting from 14 hotspots

2010: Maldives signs Convention of Migratory Species IOSEA agreement on sea turtle protection

2013: Maldives signs CITIES agreement banning sea turtle trade

2016: Sea turtles fully protected under Environment Act (93/4)

2021: Protected Species Regulation published

2024: National guidelines for sea turtle published

Sea Turtle Conservation

Sea turtles in the Maldives are protected under the Protected Species regulation (R-2025/2021) under the Environment Act (4/93) implemented by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment & Environment Protection Agency of Maldives. Local councils, NGOs, and other stakeholders also play an important role in sea turtle conservation by collaborating with the government to safeguard both the turtles and their habitats.

Within the civil society sector, two non-governmental organisations collaborate on sea turtle protection in the Maldives. The Atoll Marine Conservation Centre, operated by Naifaru Juvenile since 2012, and the Olive Ridley Project – Maldives, active in the country since 2013, jointly focus on research, education, and outreach. Additionally, Reefscapers, a marine consulting company, partners with Four Seasons to run sea turtle rehabilitation facilities under the Marine Savers programme.

Olive Ridley Project (ORP) is on a mission to protect sea turtles and their habitats through rescue and conservation medicine, scientific research, and education and outreach. The organisation operates four sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation facilities in the Maldives: the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre in Baa Atoll, and Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centres in Noonu, North Malé, and Raa Atolls. Research areas include sea turtle populations, distribution, health, habitat connectivity and threats to improve scientific knowledge and inform sea turtle conservation policy. Recognising education as a powerful tool to raise awareness, engage communities, and inspire action, ORP provides educational programs for school children, community members, divers, fishermen, tourists, resort staff, biologists, and the general public, both in person and online. The organisation also offers volunteer and paid internship opportunities. Visit https://oliveridleyproject.org to learn more.

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