Go Green- Marine Turtle Foundation & Gibbon Project

Learn some of the ways that Phuket protects sea turtles and gibbons to conserve its most vulnerable marine life and wildlife. At the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, you will discover how sea turtle nesting sites are protected, especially in areas that have become somewhat urban. Turtle eggs laid there are often transferred to the foundation for hatching. You will see how those hatchlings are raised, have the chance to feed them and join a beach clean-up to keep their nesting areas free of harmful debris. It will be a fulfilling experience, as will be visiting the Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Project. Loss of habitat, the illegal wildlife trade and poaching gibbons for food have gravely threatened the species. The foundation rescues as many gibbons as possible, rehabilitates them and eventually releases these arboreal apes into a national park that is Phuket’s last remaining tropical rainforest. There they can thrive once again in a wonderfully biodiverse landscape.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gain insight into the environmental challenges that Phuket’s sea turtles and gibbons face.
• Feed sea turtle hatchlings and join a beach clean-up to help protect their nesting sites.
• Watch gibbons being rehabilitated for release into Phuket’s only remaining rainforest.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.