One Month to Go until the Six Senses Lhaviyani Turtle Festival 2026!

The Lhaviyani Turtle Festival returns once again for its ninth edition, and the 10th anniversary since the very first event back in 2016! Hosted and organised by locally-led NGO Naifaru Juvenile and Atoll Marine Conservation Centre (AMC), the Lhaviyani Turtle Festival returns for 2026, scheduled for the 11th and 12th September. The team are pleased to announce Six Senses Kanuhura as their Title Sponsor for the third consecutive year, strengthening their ongoing partnership with the resort. AMC is a sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation centre in Naifaru, Lhaviyani, one of five sea turtle clinical facilities in the country and is the only one based on a local island. They complement this with a strong focus on outreach, through school programs and community-led beach clean events, enabling young people to get involved in local scale marine conservation.

Turtle Festival 2026

From humble beginnings to the vibrant celebration it is today, the Lhaviyani Turtle Festival has become a cornerstone initiative of marine conservation efforts in the Maldives. The event brings together local community members, school students, resort marine biologists, NGOs, and even government authorities, for one event championing marine conservation in the Maldives. The event spans two days, the 11th of September will see the 4th Atoll Marine Symposium, followed by the festival day on Saturday the 12th. The festival day will be full of educational talks and stalls, traditional dance competitions, upcycling competitions and more!

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This year the team are delighted to have Six Senses Kanuhura as Title Sponsor, as well as Cora Cora Maldives, Noku Maldives & Maldives Islamic Bank joining as Main Sponsors. Robinson Noonu will act as Co-Sponsor Plus, alongside Secret Paradise Maldives and Kuredhivaru Resort and Spa as Co-Sponsors. Additional support through in-kind donations will be provided by supporting partners, Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani, Dusit Thani and Atmosphere Kanifushi. These partnerships are instrumental to the success of Lhaviyani Turtle Festival, ensuring transport options for students from different atolls, increasing accessibility of the festival, and of marine conservation in general. More sponsors are expected over the coming weeks and if you’d like to support the festival, you can find contact details at the end of the article.

Why the Lhaviyani Turtle Festival?

As part of AMC’s mission to inspire the next generation of marine stewards, the Lhaviyani Turtle Festival directly aligns with their existing outreach efforts, like school programs such as Atoll Ecologists, Turtle Heroes, or Marine School Holiday Camp, where students spend their holidays engaging in marine science activities.

Sea turtles are facing an increasing number of human threats. One of the most common causes for admission at AMC is ghost net entanglement. Ghost net entanglement threatens limbs, and can lead to chronic buoyancy syndrome, something that makes a sea turtle in rehabilitation unfit for release. Or in many cases, the injuries a turtle faces as a result of ghost net entanglement can be fatal. The human-induced threats do not end with abandoned fishing gear. Boat strikes, habitat loss, and the increasing effects of climate change all contribute to the decline in populations of sea turtles. As of 2025, the Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) has been moved to conservation status Least Concern, a remarkable achievement thanks to consistent conservation efforts targeting this species, all across the globe. However, it is important that we don’t slow down, as the remaining six species of sea turtle are still listed as Vulnerable, Critically Endangered, or Data Deficient. AMC’s work also addresses the consequences of the illegal pet trade. In fact, the scale of the pet trade is what opened the doors of AMC for the first time back in 2012. While there are fewer hatchling admissions than there used to be, so far in 2026 the team has already admitted and released two sea turtle hatchlings.

The centre now sees frequent visitors in the form of both locals and resort guests. Hosting the Lhaviyani Turtle Festival right outside AMC in Naifaru, allows a wider audience of locals and school students to visit the centre. This opportunity to visit AMC may be the only chance many of these students get, particularly those travelling from distant islands. Every student will receive a tour of the centre, many of whom may have never seen a sea turtle before! The Lhaviyani Turtle Festival is one that blends marine conservation with Maldivian culture through showcasing traditional dances and sharing local foods. The spirited event offers both locals and internationals alike a unique and memorable experience.

How to Get Involved

Get involved in this year’s festival by entering one of the competitions, registering through a school or participating as an individual. Those with free time leading up to the festival can also volunteer locally and assist with the festival’s preparations.

Registrations remain open to interested schools, potential sponsors, NGOs and others wishing to contribute to the festival. For more information on the event, its development and impact, refer to the 2025 Turtle Festival Annual Report. Further information on participation is available from the Marine Team Lead at AMC via email (marine@naifarujuvenile.org) or WhatsApp (+960 750 6042).