May 26' was one for the books!
First, the Headlines: Babies, Babies, Babies!
Where the ocean meets the community, and the turtles steal the show.
Hello, wonderful supporters and ocean lovers,
Welcome, Karibuni to the first edition of your favourite newsletter from us at Maisha Madrugada Foundation. If you have ever wondered what it looks like when a small team of determined humans spends their days chasing turtle tracks, and celebrating the grand arrival of 464 hatchlings into the big blue sea – well, you are about to find out.
This month, we are doing things a little differently. Yes, we have our usual field reports straight from the sandy frontline, complete with nest counts, near-disasters, and glorious victories. But we have also done something special: we pulled one of our own rangers aside for a proper chat.
So, grab a seat, get comfortable, and dive into the May 2026 edition of the Maisha Madrugada Foundation newsletter! The turtles are waiting, the rangers are talking, and we promise you will smile at least once!
With love from the salty shores of Tiwi!
May was a busy month for the Tiwi Turtle Police, which is a real job title that our team members wear with great pride and a lot of suncream. We recorded 9 brand new turtle nests along Tiwi Beach and Hillpark, bringing our grand total for 2026 to 26 nests. That is a lot of future turtle mums and dads waiting to happen.
The really exciting news is that 4 of those nests decided it was time to party, and 446 tiny hatchlings successfully scrambled their way into the ocean. They emerged from 487 eggs, a success rate of 91.5%. For those of you who hate maths, that is very good! The other 41 eggs, sadly, did not make it, but we prefer to focus on the little legends who absolutely nailed it!
The Weather and the Worries
We are currently in the South East Monsoon season, which lasts from March to September and brings plenty of rain and choppy seas. Also known as Kusi winds, it is also prime turtle nesting season, so the mamas are out there doing their thing!
Life on the beach is not all sunshine and gentle waves, unfortunately. Tiwi Beach is a lovely, sandy stretch with a gentle slope, which makes it perfect for leisurely walks, volleyball, sunbathing, and camping. The downside is that high human traffic means our precious nests are constantly at risk of being trampled by enthusiastic tourists, who are not looking where they are going. On top of that, we have to contend with hungry cats, dog, and cheeky red ants who seem to think turtle eggs are a fancy buffet. Sadly, decomposing turtle carcass was also found, which was a stark reminder that we cannot save them all, no matter how hard we try.
Our Special Visitors Roll Up Their Sleeves!
A particularly lovely moment this month came when the ProWin ProNature team, our wonderful sponsors, came to visit Tiwi Beach. They did not just turn up for a cup of tea and a nice view. The first group’s proudly collected 101 kilograms of waste. The second group, perhaps feeling competitive, collected 235 kilograms and also luckily got to witness a live turtle nesting and hatchling release, which caused several grown adults to cry happy tears! Between these two groups and our regular cleanups, we removed a total of 468 six kilograms of waste from the beach this month. That is a lot of plastic that will not end up inside a curious turtle!
Meet Elphus!
Elphus is one of our dedicated rangers at Tiwi Turtle Police. As someone who wanted to understand and protect nature deeply, he went on to earn a Bsc. in Zoology. He has worked with conservation organisations in tree nurseries, butterfly conservation and now, sea turtle protection! Here’s what he shared with us…
What’s a typical day like for you on the job?
I wake up bright and early just before sunrise, and join in patrolling the beautiful coastline in Tiwi to do some beach clean ups. Then, we do field work, whether it’s relocating new turtle nests to safer places or releasing those that have hatched! If we are lucky and some have hatched, we also perform nest excavation, which is digging out the turtle nest completely, to see whether there are any undeveloped eggs or deformed ones, and to calculate the hatching rate. Then, I take part in the nightly patrols, where we look out for any new turtle mothers laying their eggs!
Can you share a recent win—big or small—that kept you motivated?
As Tiwi Turtle Police, we encounter many, many green sea turtles and hatchlings. So, we were very excited and happy when we received the news that, as of a few months ago, green sea turtles are no longer listed as an endangered species! Like, wow! We are so proud to know we, and our fellow conservation projects, are part of the reason! It continues to give us hope!
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about sea turtles?
I would want more people to understand how turtles are keystone species, so they affect their whole marine ecosystem. For green sea turtles, for example, they feed on seagrasses and seaweed, which is how they maintain the balance of their environment. Without them, these fragile habitats will easily degrade! Happy turtles = Happy ocean!
If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to be active in conservation work, what would it be?
I would say that passion is the main thing. If you love turtles, you will protect turtles. If you love trees, you will plant trees. I believe that you have to be truly, personally dedicated to the work you are committing to. If you are not passionate, you may have to step back and watch those with passion do the work!
What's next?
If you want to support us, just imagine a world without sea turtles. It is a much less interesting world, and you do not want to live there. Neither do we. Comment what surprised you, made you smile, or maybe something new you learnt!
Until next time, keep your feet off the nests and your eyes on the horizon. Remember that your passions are a call to action!
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, where we share our conservation work, campaigns and more! We have a lot of exciting things planned, and we want YOU to know all about it! From marine conservation, scholarships, tree hugging to insightful collaborations, we are deeply excited to share! Stay in touch with us our Instagram to stay posted!
With sand in our shoes and joy in our hearts,
Maisha Madrugada Foundation
Written by Latasha Wangare, June 2026