As a family we wish to raise money for the Turtle Foundation charity (www.turtle-foundation.org) towards protecting the endangered Loggerhead turtles in Cape Verde.

Two donors will be made a cake!

We all visited the turtle beach as observers with a conservationist guide. Then, we met a local zoologist at Queen Mary University of London, whose team is researching a project linked to Cape Verde Turtles. He introduced us to the Turtle Foundation. We want to go back & positively help the project while on our family holiday this August. All donations will go to the Turtle Foundation with no deductions except Just Giving fees.

Rampant poaching of nesting females threatens the world’s third largest nesting population of loggerhead turtles with extinction.

The Cape Verde nesting population of Loggerhead sea turtles is the third largest population in the world. It is estimated that up to 90% of the nesting occurs on the island of Boavista. In 2007, over 1.100 female turtles were killed as they came ashore to nest on Boavista Island, Cape Verde (over 35% of the nesting females population).

United Nations Environment Program identifies Cape Verde as the conservation priority for Loggerhead turtles.

Turtle Foundation Project on Boavista, Cape Verde: TF sent personnel to Boa vista to guard one of the main nesting beaches. In 2007, over 600 turtles were killed on this beach alone. In 2008, as a result of Turtle Foundations beach protection program, only 60 turtles were identified as killed on this beach, representing a 90% reduction.

By continuously expanding the protection program now 5 nesting beaches are being protected – they have reduced the number of sea turtles killed on Boa Vista year after year. The nesting beaches are being patrolled and protected by Turtle Foundation with support from the Cape Verde military as well as volunteers. In addition a turtle tagging program has been initiated.

The Turtle Foundation is an international charitable organization.