The Marine Turtle Conservation Program involves a "head start" project for green turtles, which is based on sound scientific methods, and a community and guest education program. We have set ourselves the goal of trying to conserve marine turtles for future stewards of this planet and its seas.

The overriding principle is based on natural predation of marine turtles, through which most small hatchlings never see their first sunrise. The project aims to rear a small sample of turtle hatchlings for one year until they reach a size at which they are too big to be eaten except by the largest of predators. Once they reach this size, there is a very good chance they will mature and become reproductively active adults.

Given that only one in a thousand hatchlings survives if nature takes its course, if this project can help a few more hatchlings reach adulthood we will have increased turtle survival rates by a factor of ten. At the same time we are aware that interfering with the life cycle of a creature such as the long-lived marine turtle can possibly have deleterious effects, so we also ensure that 90% of hatchlings continue on their normal journey when they hatch.

The education component involves Maldivian school children and guests of the Banyan Tree and Angsana resorts. Through a series of lectures and visits, school children are provided with valuable information on marine turtles and their conservation needs, a message that is spread throughout the nation. Guests are encouraged to learn more and have an opportunity to understand the turtles' behavior, while being part of a long-term conservation program.