Hello from Tiwi Beach!
As the South East Monsoon season continues to roll through our stretch of Kenya’s south coast, we’ve been keeping busy protecting our flippered friends and their precious nests. June has been a productive month for the Tiwi Turtle Police, and we’ve got some wonderful news to share with you! Also, we have one of our very own beneficiaries, David Mokaya, who shared his experience and some inspiring advice, for those pursing degrees!
Nesting News 🐢
Fifteen new green turtle nests were discovered along our beaches this month! The nesting activity was spread across several sections of the coast. Kongo beach led the way with seven nests, followed by Sand Island with three, and Hillpark with two. We also recorded one nest each at Culson, Amani, and Sea Breeze beaches.
We’re especially thrilled to report that three nests successfully hatched in June. From 347 eggs, 320 healthy hatchlings made their brave journey to the ocean—that’s a fantastic success rate of over 92%! Each of these tiny turtles now carries the hope of continuing their species for generations to come.
A Note About Our Beaches
Tiwi Beach is a beautiful stretch of sandy coastline with gentle slopes that make it perfect for beach volleyball, sunbathing, and camping. It’s a popular spot for both local and international visitors, which means our nests face some challenges. We have to watch out for eggs being accidentally trampled by beachgoers, and curious cats and dogs can be a problem too. The area is also home to red ants and monitor lizards, which unfortunately find turtle eggs rather tasty.
Thankfully, our dedicated team patrols the beaches daily, keeping a close eye on all the nests. When we find a nest that’s too close to the high-water mark or in an area with high predator activity, we carefully relocate it to a safer spot. Every egg counts!
Beach Cleanup Efforts
Our team collected nearly forty-eight kilograms of waste from the shoreline in June. Thanks to our partners at Kwale Recyclers, all this waste was transported to the recycling center. Every piece of plastic and debris we remove means cleaner beaches for nesting turtles and a healthier ocean for everyone.
Community Engagement & Education
We’ve been busy connecting with our community this month and it’s been absolutely wonderful.
On June 14th, we joined other conservation groups at the Diamond Leisure Golf Club for the annual Sea Turtle Festival. It was a beautiful day filled with conversations about protecting marine biodiversity and the importance of our ocean habitats. Seeing so many people come together for the turtles was truly heartwarming.
We also partnered with Camps International to host a marine conservation workshop at Trade-winds before heading over to their camp in Muhaka. Local students joined us for a beach cleanup, learning firsthand why clean nesting habitats matter. We had great discussions about nest protection, reducing marine pollution, and why healthy coastal ecosystems are so important for future generations.
And we’re excited to share that we’ve welcomed two Biological Sciences students from the Technical University of Mombasa to our team. They’ll be spending two months with us, gaining practical conservation skills and sharing their knowledge with our community. It’s always wonderful to see young people passionate about protecting our natural world.
Our Rangers
We’d like to give a huge shout-out to the incredible rangers who make all this possible. Our monitors—Elphas, Annah, Hamisi, Athuman, Hemedi, Saidi, Bruno, Anuar, Zena, Salim, Omar, and Fatuma—are all drawn from the local community. They’re out on the beaches every single day, recording nests, protecting eggs, and guiding hatchlings safely to the ocean. Their dedication is truly inspiring and we couldn’t do any of this without them. (If you missed our last newsletter where we interviews one of our very own rangers, Elphus, you can find it here!)
A Word from Our Partners
We’re incredibly grateful to the ProWin Pronature Foundation for their continued support. Their funding has helped us purchase essential equipment—GPS units for mapping nests, nest translocation gear for safely moving eggs, and protective gear for our rangers. Our team has also received training in sea turtle conservation protocols, including nest verification, tagging, relocation, and safe hatchling release. This support makes a real difference in our ability to protect these magnificent creatures.
Looking Ahead
As we move deeper into nesting season, we’ll continue our daily patrols, community outreach, and conservation efforts. Every hatchling that reaches the ocean represents hope for future generations of sea turtles. It’s a small miracle that happens right here on our beaches, and we’re proud to play our part in protecting it.
Want to get involved? Whether you’re a student, a traveler, or a local resident, there are many ways to support sea turtle conservation. Reach out to the Tiwi Turtle Police to learn more!
Stay wild, stay wonderful, and remember—every little action helps our ocean friends thrive.🌊💚
— The Tiwi Turtle Police Team
Meet David!
David Mokaya has been a beneficiary of our youth education fund since 2019 by the Maisha Madrugada Foundation. We have been assisting him in his pursuit of a degree since his first term in Public Health, of which he proudly graduated in December 2023.
He completed his professional exam, was placed in Kiambu county, and is currently awaiting placement for an internship. Passionate about helping the needy, young and unwell, David is a testimony to the community he comes from, and continues to serve. In his free time, he loves playing football with young kids and serving his community, and loves to give back. Currently, he is volunteering within the administration of the same youth center he was living in, Joy’s Children’s Home in Ruiru. We asked him about his experience so far and are glad to share his incredible journey…
What kind of impact do you hope to have on the world, and how did your scholarship help you start that journey?
D: Through the support from Maisha Madrugada Foundation, I was able to finish my degree in public health, where I learnt a lot. I hope to make a lasting impact by improving the health of vulnerable communities through Public Health Education, disease prevention and also making it easier for them to access not just health care but quality healthcare! This is because throughout the course, I realized public health majorly focuses on prevention, rather than cure. I believe preventing illness and promoting healthy lifestyles is what can change an entire community. On how the scholarship helped me begin the journey… Honestly it played a significant role in kick-starting my journey, majorly by easing the financial burden which helped me focus fully on my studies. Before getting the scholarship, I had lost hope of joining campus or even continuing with my studies.
How has your major or career goal evolved, since you started college?
D: I first wanted to work in healthcare or nursing, because I wanted to help the sick recover. As I progressed, I realized public health is more of preventing diseases and addressing factors that affect health. So, my career goal evolved from wanting to care for individual patients to aspiring to influence the whole health of the community through Health Education & preventive Health care initiatives.
What is a strength you didn’t know you had until college forced you to use it?
D: Regarding the strength I did not know I had until college forced me to use it, I would say the experience helped me discover my resilience. Through this, I learned that I could adapt to difficult situations and remain focused under pressure.
If your younger self could see you right now, what would they be most proud of?
D: If my younger self could see me, he would be proud that I never gave up on my dream of serving others. Despite the obstacles I encountered, I stayed committed to my education and successfully completed it.
Do you have any advice for someone that is facing a hard time in school?
D: My advice is to never lose sight of what you started. Stay true to the course. Every student faces challenges. Difficult times do not last forever, but the lessons you gain from overcoming them stay with you forever. Believe in yourself and stay committed!
Thank you for reading this month’s update from the Tiwi Turtle Police! We hope you enjoyed hearing about our nesting successes, community events, and the incredible impact that our education fund has for our beneficiaries. If you know someone who’d love to follow our conservation journey, please share this newsletter with them—they can subscribe by visiting our website or sending us a quick message. We’ll be back with more turtle tales, interviews and collaborations next month! Until then, take care of yourselves and our beautiful ocean! 🐢💚
Written by Latasha Wangare