Turtle hatchlings have been released into the ocean in northern Bali as 32 turtle conservation groups marked a year since they came together as an association.
The hatchlings were released from the beach in Kerobokan village, east of Singaraja.
One of the groups runs a hatchery on this beach. After the release, participants cleaned up the shore, and then the groups shared their experience of hatching eggs, raising the hatchlings and releasing them.
The association was set up in November last year so that groups from almost every part of the island could coordinate with one another and work together. They share one concern: it is becoming harder and harder for turtles to come ashore to lay their eggs because the beaches are being eroded.
The groups move eggs from exposed stretches of beach to hatcheries, where dogs cannot dig them up and waves cannot wash them away, and release the newly hatched turtles into the ocean.
In the south of the island, you can watch a release on Kuta Beach: during the nesting season, the local turtle conservation centre releases hatchlings together with tourists. Olive ridley turtles hatch there, while on the north coast green turtles also come ashore to lay their eggs.
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