Skip to main content

Ongoing appeal · Coasts & oceans

Protect sea turtles

From the beaches of Sri Lanka and Indonesia to the reefs of East Africa and the coast of Brazil, sea turtles are drowned in nets, choked by plastic and robbed of their nests. Help fund the partners who protect them.

DONATE NOW Get involved
A sea turtle swimming over a coral reef

In brief

Sea turtles face drowning in nets, plastic and nest loss on beaches. UK supporters can fund nest protection, bycatch reduction and rescue across WARN's five partner countries.

7

Sea turtle species worldwide

~1 in 1,000

Hatchlings reaching adulthood

6+

WARN countries with nesting coasts

Endangered

Most species, IUCN Red List

The Sea Turtle Crisis

Sea turtles have navigated the oceans for over a hundred million years, yet within a few human generations their numbers have collapsed. Of the seven species, the hawksbill is Critically Endangered and the green turtle Endangered — and only around one hatchling in a thousand survives to adulthood.

Along the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania and Brazil, turtles are drowned as bycatch in fishing gear, swallow plastic they mistake for jellyfish, and lose their nesting beaches to development and artificial light. Eggs and adults are still taken for meat and for the illegal shell trade.

WARN does not run its own hatcheries. We raise funds and make grants to established marine rescue teams, hatcheries and veterinary services — funding the frontline response that gets the maximum possible share of your gift to the turtles.

Step 1

Protect Nesting Beaches

Funding beach patrols and protected hatcheries that guard nests from poaching, predators and tides.

Step 2

Reduce Bycatch

Supporting turtle-safe fishing gear and training so fewer turtles drown in nets and on longlines.

Step 3

Rescue & Rehabilitation

Partner clinics that treat turtles injured by boats, hooks, entanglement and plastic, then return them to the sea.

Step 4

Clean Seas & Anti-Trade

Beach clean-ups, plastic-reduction work and action against the illegal trade in shells and eggs.

Choose Your Gift

Pick a tier, go monthly or one-off, and send it as a gift. The maximum possible share reaches the turtles.

Donate £60

Secure · One-off · Funds frontline rescue.

Questions About This Appeal

Which sea turtles are most at risk?
Of the seven sea turtle species, the hawksbill is Critically Endangered and the green turtle is Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Most species are declining, and only a tiny fraction of hatchlings survive to adulthood.
Where does WARN's sea turtle work happen?
Along the coasts of WARN's five partner countries with major nesting beaches and feeding grounds: Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Colombia and Pakistan. In each, we fund local partners rather than running our own sites. Other turtle range countries feature as wider search context.
Why are sea turtles in trouble?
Sea turtles are drowned as bycatch in fishing gear, choke on plastic, lose nesting beaches to development and lighting, and are killed for their meat, eggs and shells. Warming sand is also skewing the sex ratio of hatchlings.
Does WARN run its own turtle hatchery?
No. WARN is a UK Community Interest Company that raises funds and makes grants to, and partners with, established hatcheries, rescue teams and veterinary services. We fund frontline protection and rehabilitation rather than building WARN-branded facilities.