Bali Sea Turtle Society (BSTS) — Attraction in Kuta

Releasing Turtles at Kuta Beach: A Heartwarming Experience During my visit to Bali, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a turtle release at Kuta Beach—a magical experience that left a profound impression on me. Among all the adventures and attractions Bali has to offer, this activity stood out for its simplicity, its connection to nature, and its deeper meaning of conservation and hope.

A Serendipitous Discovery I hadn’t planned to release turtles during my trip; it was one of those wonderful experiences that happened by chance. Strolling along Kuta Beach, I noticed a small gathering of people near a sign promoting turtle conservation. Curious, I stopped to learn more and discovered that this was a daily effort by a local conservation group dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and safely releasing turtle hatchlings into the ocean.

The thought of helping these tiny creatures begin their incredible journey was irresistible. I signed up immediately, eager to take part in something so meaningful.

The Conservation Effort Before the release, the organizers gave a brief but informative talk about the conservation challenges faced by sea turtles. From habitat destruction to pollution and poaching, the odds are stacked against these magnificent animals. Only a small percentage of hatchlings survive to adulthood, making efforts like this vital for their survival.

It was inspiring to see the passion and dedication of the local team. They had created a safe environment for the eggs to hatch and were committed to giving the turtles the best possible start. Knowing that I could contribute, even in a small way, made the experience all the more special.

The Release: A Moment of Connection When it was time to release the turtles, I was handed a small basket containing a single hatchling. It was so tiny and delicate, yet it carried a powerful sense of life and potential. Holding that little turtle in my hands, I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility—not just for this one creature, but for the natural world as a whole.

Standing at the edge of the water, surrounded by others who shared my awe and excitement, I gently placed the turtle on the sand. Watching it instinctively make its way toward the waves was mesmerizing. There was something incredibly moving about seeing such a small, fragile creature take on the vastness of the ocean.

Why It Meant So Much Releasing turtles wasn’t just an activity; it was a moment of reflection and connection. It reminded me of the importance of preserving our natural world and the impact we can have when we choose to care.

Kuta Beach is known for its vibrant energy and beautiful sunsets, but this experience gave it a new depth of meaning for me. It was a reminder that even amidst tourism and development, efforts are being made to protect and honor the island’s natural heritage.

If you ever find yourself in Bali, I highly recommend participating in a turtle release. It’s a simple act, but one that carries immense significance. For me, it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my trip—proof that sometimes, the smallest actions can leave the biggest...

We happened to stay in the hotel that is directly behind the turtle organization. We could look out of our hotel balcony down onto the entire organization. The first night we walked down and chatted with an Australian woman who was painstakingly pulling the hatchlings out of the nest. She provided us with lots of information and the intent of saving the turtles on the beach. The next morning, we looked out of our hotel balcony and saw those same turtles in tiny, shallow buckets piled up on the side of the building. At first we weren’t worried, because we had been told that those turtles were being released into the ocean that afternoon. Then, in a matter of a minute, we watched a rat scurry up and take a turtle out of the bucket and scurry away with it in its mouth. We were horrified. In a matter of five minutes, we saw at least 5 turtles be snatched by rats. We ran down to the area with the buckets and no one from the facility was there. There were maybe 9 shallow buckets. One was completely empty and one had only a few turtles left. We saw some baby turtles crawling on the beach nearby. I think the rats were piling them under the stairs. We picked them up and put them in the nearby tote with higher walls. A man with a turtle shirt approached us and we told him about the rats taking the turtles. He laughed and said, “yea they are sneaky”, and walked away. We told three other people that came into the building and got a similar response. Finally we sent a Facebook message to the organization and called the number listed. That’s when a man came and put the remaining turtles into the higher walled totes. He said the rats are very fast, and they can’t stop them. He also said he saw four be eaten that morning as well. All of my encounters make me think that the organization is well aware that rats steal and kill A LOT of turtles every day, and yet they have not solved the problem. Get better containers! Take some of those tourist donations and get some totes with lids and drill holes into them! I cannot believe that this place digs up all of the nests on the beach only to keep them in tiny containers as free rat food. They must not care about the preservation of the turtles. I can only assume it’s a money...

This is absolutely amazing! Once in a lifetime experience. Even if your don't get a ticket to release a turtle, you can join the hundreds of other onlookers to watch the turtles in their first ever race for survival.

It's a short 1 min walk from the right turn only main road. There are scooter parking places just beside (left from the gate). We came yesterday only to find out that the release was today (thankfully, as we only had 2 days here). There's a big sea turtle sculpture with a hollow sandy middle containing all the baby day old hatchlings that you can watch and snap cute pictures of.

The release date will be scheduled when they have about 300 baby sea turtles (estimated). Arrived at 345pm to join the fast moving queue of adults and children alike to get a ticket for a donation. The average donation was 10k idr each (we gave 50k for the 2 of us).

The donations go to support the not for profit conservation project.

At 420pm, there was a brief introduction to their conservation project and instructions on the release at the beach. Approximately 1 in 1000 baby turtles survive long enough to attain adulthood amidst the harsh conditions and predators.

The mother turtle builds a nest and lays eggs along beaches all around Bali. The Bali Sea Turtle Society then collects these eggs and transports them to the hatchery here where they hatch after 45 to 60 days. Basically, they give the eggs a chance to hatch and protects them from poachers, predators etc, thus eliminating their first survival obstacle (to hatch).

In the beach release, another obstacle is eliminated - being picked off the beach before they get to the sea by birds. Since there are so many people overlooking the release, the birds dont come. And there aren't many other predators like crabs on Kuta beach which is full of tourists.

Check directly at the place for the next release date. The website and the contact number (whastapp) do not have updated information.

It's a wonderful experience for adults and children alike. You'd be really lucky if there is a release date scheduled during your stay in...