One of the best things I did while in Sri Lanka was visit the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project, a non-profit organization working to protect endangered sea turtles. As you may know, the vast majority of sea turtles don’t make it past the first 24 hours—they’re usually snapped up by hungry predators shortly after hatching. The folks at Kosgoda try to give these little guys a leg up, by hatching them in a protected area, giving them a few days to mature and then releasing them into the sea under cover of darkness, when there are fewer predators about. They also help rehabilitate injured turtles and buy back turtle eggs that have been dug up by people for food and/or profit. Check out their website for information on how you can volunteer, should you ever find yourself in Sri Lanka. And yes, they will let you hold the 2 day-old baby sea turtles, if you ask nicely.
(Source: mehan)
