Kuta Bali: Safe For Tourism And Sea Turtles

The Bali Bombing in 2001 located about 300 meters from Kuta beach, where ProFauna runs its Sea turtles conservation program, deteriorated Bali tourism activity. To memorialize the bombing victims and to encourage the tourism business in their productivity, a carnival called Kuta Karnival has been held since 2003. Since then, ProFauna Bali office actively takes part in the event primarily because Kuta beach is a main site for the organization to save nesting turtles, relocate the eggs, and release hatchlings.

Thanks to ProFauna's sea turtle campaign since 1999, now the number of sea turtles slaughter and trade in Bali has decreased by more than 80%. Partnering with the Kuta beach security guards, who are locally known as satgas Pantai Kuta, ProFauna runs the sea turtles conservation programs on the beach. The conservation activities have also become a tourist attraction. Seeing a nesting sea turtle and watching the marine animal lay eggs is a wonderful experience for tourists although despite the fact that it creates more jobs for ProFauna's staff to ensure that the sea turtle is not disturbed. ProFauna always seeks to engage people in turtle hatchling releases to show them that the sea is the natural habitat for turtles. Usually during that time, ProFauna distributes leaflets about sea turtle conservation to the community.

For those reasons, ProFauna joined the 6th Kuta Karnival on 18^th until 26^th October 2008 by holding an exhibition called "Wildlife Conservation Exhibition". The information materials were displayed both in English and Indonesian for domestic and foreign visitors. The carnival ended in a parade of its participants including ProFauna Bali's beautifully decorated truck and its mascot "Mr. Turtle" that attracted children and tourists to take photographs. ProFauna hopes that all stakeholders, including tourists, became inspired to support sea turtles conservation in Bali.