The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, in conjunction with JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, Anantara Phuket Villas, Sala Phuket Resort & Spa, and Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, held a turtle release celebration for Chinese New Year, raising funds and awareness for the plight of the critically endangered sea turtles in Phuket. More than 100 participants gathered on Phuket’s Mai Khao beach to release 30 green turtles back to the Andaman sea.
The objective of the event is not only giving baby turtles a new start but also bring back new life to injured turtles as the funds raised from the event will go towards supporting the Hatchery Programme founded by the Royal Thai Navy and the Injured Turtles Rehabilitation programme, arranged by the Phuket Marine Biological Center.
Robert J. Lohrmann, President of Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, said; “Mai Khao Turtle Release was organised with collaboration of the foundation and four North Phuket Resorts with the aims to take social responsibilities to reserve Mai Khao’s environment and raise awareness of saving Mai Khao Beach as the nesting area for sea turtles as in the past.”
Other projects include beach and reef clean ups, mini marathons and educational projects for Mai Khao students, all of which were created to ensure Mai Khao’s ecological future.
Besides the turtle release, the foundation also organised Turtle Walk Rally, along the way from Pru-Jeh-san Lake, Mai Khao to JW Marriott Phuket with educational game stations about how to take care of environment and knowledge about circle life of sea turtle.
Pictured (from right): Robert J. Lohrmann; Dr Kongkiet Kittiwattanawong; Mark Hehir; representative from Royal Thai Navy, Phuket
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