The Lhaviyani Turtle Festival Returns for 2025!

Organised by locally-led NGO Naifaru Juvenile and Atoll Marine Conservation Centre (AMC), the Lhaviyani Turtle Festival is back for 2025, scheduled for the 5^th and 6^th September, marking its eighth edition. AMC is a sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation centre dedicated to taking care of injured sea turtles and sparking interest among the community about sea turtle conservation to help enhance their protection. Through school outreach programs and events like the Lhaviyani Turtle Festival, Naifaru Juvenile, and AMC create space for young people and the wider community to engage in marine conservation at a local level. 

The much-anticipated event unites school students, communities, government authorities, conservationists, and ocean lovers from across the Maldives to celebrate sea turtles and highlight the urgent need to protect their species and the home they live in. The organisers are delighted to announce that Six Senses Kanuhura have returned as the event’s Title Sponsor for the second consecutive year, and their support will be instrumental in making the event a great success. 

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The event is also proudly supported by Maldives Islamic Bank, Emerald Faarufushi Resort and Noku Maldives as Main Sponsors, alongside Secret Paradise Maldives and Dusit Thani Maldives as Co-Sponsors. These partnerships will elevate the festival’s impact, helping bring students from different islands, reducing barriers to participation and increasing connectivity for conservation. 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 are turtle festivals important? 

Sea turtles have gracefully roamed our oceans for millions of years, but today, they are increasingly under threat, mostly due to human activity. 

Sea turtles are wild animals that belong in the ocean, yet they are still hunted for their meat and taken illegally as hatchlings to be kept as pets. Since 2015, Atoll Marine Conservation Centre have received 306 sea turtle hatchlings, with 242 of them surrendered from the illegal pet trade. These baby turtles were taken from their nests, kept in unsuitable conditions, often fed the wrong diets, and handled in ways that lead to long-term health complications. 

It’s estimated that only 1 in 1,000 sea turtle hatchlings naturally survive to adulthood, which makes every sea turtle hatchling significant. By taking hatchlings and keeping them as pets, their chance of survival is reduced even further, causing harm to the animal and preventing normal sea turtle behaviours. Sadly, 23% of the hatchlings brought to AMC from the illegal pet trade have died, highlighting the urgent need for better awareness to prevent this from happening. During the first half of this year alone, AMC received three hatchlings from the illegal pet trade, highlighting that this problem still prevails in 2025.

Unfortunately, the threats to sea turtles don’t end there—humans endanger them at every stage of life through plastic ingestion, boat strikes, coastal development, and habitat loss, along with the long-term impact of climate change. One of the most common threats that Atoll Marine Conservation Centre encounters is entanglement in marine debris, particularly ghost gear. Ghost gear is lost or purposely abandoned fishing gear that drifts through Maldivian waters, often trapping marine life with it. Most of the turtle patients receiving care at AMC are Olive Ridley sea turtles that were once victims of ghost gear entanglement and suffer severe injuries such as the loss of their flippers, potentially life-threatening infections, or buoyancy issues that prevent the turtles from diving below the surface. Awareness of these threats and their consequences is often lacking, which is why awareness-raising initiatives are so important—and why turtle festivals are a powerful tool for conservation. 

Turtle festivals are celebrated around the world, from India’s Velas Turtle Festival to Costa Rica’s Tortuguero Festival. They serve as vibrant, community-led events that offer a dynamic platform to educate people about turtle biology, the threats they face, and the importance of protecting their ocean home. Local NGOs, schools, and partners play a vital role in bringing these events to life, uniting communities around a shared commitment to protecting marine life. By blending creativity, culture, and hands-on learning, these festivals inspire action, foster a sense of ocean stewardship, and make conservation inclusive, engaging and memorable for all ages. 

What makes the Lhaviyani Turtle Festival Special? 

The Lhaviyani Turtle Festival is held annually on the island of Naifaru, the capital of Lhaviyani Atoll, to raise awareness about sea turtle conservation and broader ocean conservation topics in the Maldives. The event places a strong focus on school participation—students from Lhaviyani and other neighbouring atolls are invited to join the festivities, which highlight the important connection between culture and conservation. In 2024, almost 200 students from ten different schools spanning Lhaviyani, Raa, Baa, Noonu, and Malé took part, designing interactive stalls decorated with recycled materials and hosting games and educational activities to raise awareness about conservation. Throughout the day, students also participated in competitions and shared their culture through traditional dance performances, offering international visitors a vibrant, uniquely Maldivian experience.

The Lhaviyani Turtle Festival has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2016. Originally a one-day event, it has evolved into a two-day celebration of science, conservation, and culture. The event kicks off with the Atoll Marine Symposium, first introduced in 2023, and held this year on Friday, 5th September. The symposium brings together NGOs, researchers, and marine experts to present data, share knowledge, and discuss pressing marine conservation issues in the Maldives. The following day, Saturday 6^th September, the festival unfolds in full colour on Velaa Beach—offering a dynamic blend of community spirit, cultural pride and ocean stewardship. 

To find out more about the event, its development and impact, you can read the 2024 Turtle Festival Annual Report, and if you’d like to get involved, you can reach out to the Marine Team Lead at AMC via email (marine@naifarujuvenile.org) or WhatsApp (+960 750 6042).