The Loggerhead turtle is classified by the IUCN as one of the eleventh most endangered species of marine turtles in the world. The Cape Verdean archipelago holds the largest nesting aggregation of Loggerhead turtles in the world, with the island of Sal home to more Loggerhead turtles than the whole of the Mediterranean.

But the turtle population is under threat from habitat loss, marine pollution, the uncontrolled extraction of inert resources like salt and limestone, and rapid coastal development. On top of this, the already limited natural resources of the island are challenged by human activities such as agriculture and fishing which sustain the economy. Poaching of adult turtles is also a threat, accounting for over a hundred female loggerhead turtle deaths every year on Sal. So advanced drone technology is also used to deter and prevent turtle poaching and capture vital information to keep the turtles and their nests safe.

TUI Turtle Aid Cape Verde protects 350,000 hatchlings through beach monitoring, nest relocation into nurseries and drone patrolling of the main nesting beaches on Sal. 

It also introduces a turtle-friendly business certification for beachfront tourism enterprises on the island which supports the certification process and monitors four beachfront businesses.

Marine conservation and turtle-friendly tourism activities reach 59,000 community members and tourists through beach clean-ups, field visits, radio programmes, workshops with the school and public outreach for tourists and tourism businesses.

It also supports a sustainable business model for Project Biodiversity by implementing a 15% increase in funding to increase the organisation’s self-funding capacity through public outreach and new partnership development.