On a mission to save endangered guardians of the ocean

As he bends beneath a thick mangrove forest in Funzi Island located some 75km south of Mombasa City, you could easily mistake him for a tour guide.

As Mzee Bakari Nzonga glides silently through the flooded forest under the canopy of mangroves ,it is like traveling back in time.

There are no electric wires. No street lighting and no central water supply. No roads. Everything is so calm you cannot fail to enjoy the ambiance and fragrance of the fresh sea breeze from the isolated island

“Funzi island is a hidden gem completely off the radar to local and international tourists” says Mzee Nzonga.

But he is not here on adventure. He is a turtle monitor who is out to protect and raise awareness about threats to sea turtles.

Sea turtles serve as guardians of the ocean, playing a vital role in maintaining the health and balance of marine ecosystems.

Sea turtles are considered a flagship species, playing a critical role in Kenya’s marine ecosystem, as well as a tourist attraction.

Illegal harvesting, habitat encroachment and pollution are some of the threats that sea turtles are fighting against to stay alive.

Mzee Nzonga, who is in his early 50s, says: “I was once a turtle poacher but today I’m a reformed turtle monitor. Turtles are endangered species as they are slaughtered for their eggs, oil, meat, skin, and shells. Sea turtles suffer from poaching and over-exploitation. They also face habitat destruction and accidental capture—known as bycatch—in fishing gear,” said Mzee Nzonga.

Bycatch is the incidental capture of non-target species when fishing.

In partnership with Africa Climate and Environment Foundation and the fishing communities, Mzee Nzonga is now able to protect the turtles and rescue them from net entanglement.

Outside Funzi Island, turtles face another survival challenge due to rapid development along the beach in areas like Diani Beach, which is a popular tourist destination.

“This development is putting pressure on nesting grounds and that is why our foundation has invested a lot in training locals as turtle monitoring unit and Mzee Nzonga is one of the beneficiaries,” says Nevile Agesa, chief executive officer of the Africa Climate and Environment Foundation.

“Turtles are endangered species. Development along the beach line and poaching is reducing their nesting grounds. Watersport along the beach is also a threat to sea turtles as they are hit by speeding motorboats. Human beings are the biggest threat to turtle existence today,” adds Agesa.

“In 2022 about 50 turtles were killed through boat accidents, fishing nets, and poaching. Unfortunately, mortality figures are climbing steadily.”

Agesa says their work is aligned to Sustainable Development Goal 14, which is about conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas and marine resources.

According to the UN Sustainable Development Report 2023, healthy oceans and seas are essential to human existence and life on Earth.

Out of the five species documented as occurring within Kenyan waters, two are critically endangered while three are endangered under the International Union Conservation of Nature red list

Some of the sea turtle species along Diani Beach and other coastal regions are leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles.

The green turtles – the most common species, are frequently reported to nest along Kenya’s coastline and are also among the most exploited species, leading to a drastic decline in their population.

Agesa notes that increased plastic pollution in the ocean is harmful to sea turtles as they are choked to death by plastic waste thrown into the sea.

“Plastic is a major problem to the survival of sea turtles. We have discovered harmful plastic materials in the stomachs of turtles. We work with youth and other organisations in beach clean-ups to reduce the number of plastic materials thrown into the sea,” says Agesa.

The foundation also responds to turtle mortalities, rescues stranded turtles in fishing nets and works closely with Kenya Wildlife Services to conduct patrols along the beach and islands.

According to World Wide Fund for Nature- Kenya, other deadly threats to sea turtles include illegal trade and direct consumption of meat, eggs, shell, leather, curios as well as habitat loss.

Turtle hatching is also affected by climate change, which increases global warming and could skew sex ratios, resulting in more females.

According to a new report by WWF and Sky Ocean Rescue, over 250,000 turtles die after being caught in fisheries around the world annually.

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