Turtle Hatchling, Mafia Island

Between June and September hundreds of baby turtles make their instinctive scramble from the white sandy beaches to the warm Indian Ocean waters. In Mafia it’s fortunate enough to be able to witness this natural spectacle from the Eastern beach of Juani, an island bursting with nature from the tiniest of butterflies to giant cascading trees. 

The turtle conservation programme of these amazing creatures, particularly the Hawksbill Turtle has been one of Mafia’s outstanding successes through the combined efforts of Sea Sense, local community and Mafia Island Marine Park since 2001.

The adventure starts with a lovely dhow trip across Chole Bay, landing on the shielded Western side of Juani Island. On arrival, a 45 minute walk across the island reveals the islands true beauty of the Island itself with towering trees and green foliage.

On the hatchling site we may experience the little hatchlings emerge from their sandy burrow, scrambling out of their nest, flapping their fins vivaciously, racing to reach the surf and start the next step of their incredible journey. It is a truly heart wrenching experience to watch these ancient reptiles fight for survival in their first moments among the living. After experiencing one of nature’s most harrowing hurdles, we make our way back.