‘Losing more every day': Race to save endangered sea turtles in Kenya

On a quiet stretch of beach in Kiunga, a small coastal town nestled near Kenya's northern border with Somalia, Ahmed Ali Mohammed scans the shoreline with a practiced eye.As the head warden of a Kiunga community conservancy, Mohammed is leading a group of community rangers in a high-stakes mission: to save the critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtle from the brink of extinction.

“We are losing more every day,” Mohammed explains, his voice laced with urgency. “We must act quickly, or they will disappear.”

The Hawksbill turtle, renowned for its stunningly vibrant, patterned shell, symbolizes the escalating environmental challenges threatening marine life along Kenya's coastline.

These turtles, once a common sight in the region's waters, now face dangers ranging from plastic pollution to illegal poaching.

The beaches of Kiunga, located in the shadow of the Indian Ocean's turquoise waves, are among the last remaining strongholds for the Hawksbill.

- An ecosystem on the brink

“The Hawksbill is a beautiful creature, but it's also fragile,” says Mohammed, his weathered face showing the toll of years spent fighting to protect these gentle reptiles.

“Their population has been decimated by pollution, climate change and human activity.”

For the rangers of Kiunga, the task is monumental. It involves patrolling beaches, monitoring nesting sites, and rescuing turtles that are caught in fishers' nets or tangled in plastic waste.

On a typical day, Mohammed rises before dawn and gathers his team of rangers drawn from the local community. Dressed in jungle green uniforms and armed with nothing more than their knowledge of the sea, the rangers comb the beaches on foot, looking for signs of turtle activity. It's a challenging and sometimes dangerous job.

"We have to keep an eye on poachers too," says Mohammed, referring to the illegal trade in turtle shells, which are highly prized for their decorative qualities.

One of the greatest threats facing the Hawksbill turtle is plastic pollution.

Plastic debris, often carried by ocean currents, ends up on the beaches of Kiunga, where turtles mistake it for food.

"The turtles eat plastic, thinking it's jellyfish," says Mohammed. "But plastic clogs their stomachs, and they starve to death."

The rangers routinely find turtles washed up on the shore, their stomachs filled with plastic waste.

Plastic pollution has increased dramatically in recent years, and the effects are devastating for marine life.

Kenya Wildlife Service Senior Sergeant Abu Bocha highlighted the dangers that plastic pollution poses to endangered sea turtles.

“The turtles we found might have died from suffocation after consuming littered plastics," Bocha said.

He described how turtles often mistake plastic, especially white plastic bags, for jellyfish, which is a primary food source for Hawksbill turtles.

"When they see those plastics, they think it's a jellyfish. So when they eat it, it expands in their stomach, causing suffocation and eventually death," he said, adding that the turtles are frequently found washed ashore after being killed by these materials.

According to an analysis by the environmental group Ocean Conservancy, plastic ingestion is responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 marine animals each year.

The Hawksbill turtle, which feeds on sponges and other soft-bodied organisms, is particularly vulnerable because its diet includes jellyfish, a species often mimicked by floating plastic bags.

The rising tide of plastic is also compounding other threats. Climate change has altered the Hawksbill's nesting habits, with rising temperatures skewing the gender balance of hatchlings. The sand on which they lay their eggs is getting warmer, and warmer temperatures result in more female hatchlings, which disrupts the species' natural reproduction cycle.

- Local voices on the frontline

Mohammed is not alone in his battle. Local fisherman Abdulrahman Said, 43, recalls a time when the Hawksbill was a common sight in the waters around Kiunga.

"When I was a boy, we used to see turtles everywhere," Said reminisces. "Now, it's rare to see even one."

Said has joined the community rangers in their efforts, providing his knowledge of the sea and alerting them whenever he spots a turtle caught in nets.

“The problem is their size and shape,” he says. “They get trapped in the nets, and it's hard for them to escape.”

For Mohammed and his team, every turtle rescued is a victory, but the fight is far from over.

On one of his routine patrols, Mohammed found a Hawksbill entangled in a discarded fishing net, struggling to swim. Carefully, he cut the turtle free and released it back into the water."It's moments like this that remind us why we do this job," he says with a smile. "But for every one we save, there are many more we can't reach in time."

- Poaching and habitat loss

Plastic is not the only enemy. The Hawksbill turtle is also targeted by poachers, who hunt them for their shells, which are used to make jewelry and other ornaments. The illegal trade in turtle shells has decimated populations worldwide, and the Hawksbill is no exception.

“Poachers come to hunt them,” Mohammed says, shaking his head. “They take the turtles from their nests, and we find some of the shells the next day.”

Coastal development is another growing concern. As more hotels and resorts spring up along Kenya's coastline, the Hawksbill's natural habitat is shrinking.

Beachfront construction disrupts nesting sites, and artificial lights from buildings confuse hatchlings, leading them away from the safety of the ocean.

“Development is good for the economy, but it's bad for the turtles,” says Mohammed. “We need to find a balance.”

- Glimmer of hope

Despite the many challenges, there is hope that the work being done by community rangers like Mohammed and conservation organizations such as the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) is making a difference.

The rangers' efforts have helped increase awareness among local communities, who are now more invested in protecting the Hawksbill.

“The people of Kiunga are starting to understand that we need to protect these turtles,” Mohammed says. “They're part of our heritage.”

The NRT has also been instrumental in supporting these conservation efforts, noting that protecting species like the Hawksbill turtle is critical to maintaining the health of marine ecosystems.“Overall turtle mortality reported by conservancies has decreased significantly since 2016 as conservancies have placed an increased focus on monitoring and protection,” it said in a statement.

“Through joint co-management areas, BMUs (Beach Management Units) are identifying sea turtle feeding grounds and enforcing gear restriction zones using local bylaws. In these areas, the setting of large mesh-size gillnets (locally known as ‘malasha') have now been restricted to reduce unintended fishing (bycatch) of sea turtles and marine mammals.”

As the sun sets over the Indian Ocean, Mohammed and his team continue their patrols, knowing that their work is far from finished.

“We may be a small group, but we're making a big difference,” he says, as the waves lap at the shore. “We won't give up until the Hawksbill is safe.”

With continued efforts from local communities, conservationists and organizations, there is hope that the Hawksbill turtle will one day thrive again in the waters of Kiunga, free from the dangers that currently threaten its survival.