Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival
The Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival (SSTF) was first held in August 2013. It was created by a group of like-minded individuals, with the aim of raising awareness of sea turtle conservation and fostering a love for marine turtles among the general public. The committee is comprised of members from local NGOs, government departments and other interested individuals, all of whom share a passion for marine turtles.

Now in it's third year, the SSTF continues to bring together organisations working in sea turtle research and conservation, to promote collaboration and help celebrate and protect Seychelles' sea turtles.

Sea Turtles of Seychelles
There are five species of sea turtle found in Seychelles waters, but only two species nest upon the archipelago's beaches. The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) or 'torti-d-mer' and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) or 'torti kare'. Green turtles are listed on the IUCN Red List as 'Endangered' and are more commonly found in the outer islands, including a large number at Aldabra Atoll. The hawksbill turtle is listed on the IUCN Red List as 'Critically Endangered' having once been hunted intensively for its beautiful shell. In Seychelles several of the inner granitic islands have important hawksbill nesting beaches.

Sea Turtles and the Law
Since 1994 sea turtles have been afforded full protection under Seychelles law. This means it is illegal to kill, possess or eat turtle. Sadly despite this protection, sea turtles continue to be under threat in Seychelles and globally from pollution, coastal development and entanglement in fishing nets.