Seychelles gears up for fourth sea turtle festival |11 July 2016

Seychelles is gearing up for its Sea Turtle Festival which will be held next month at Beau Vallon for the fourth consecutive year. 

First held in 2013 to promote sea turtle conservation and to celebrate Seychelles sea turtles, the festival has grown over the years to become a national event which attracts numerous participants.

This year the festival committee has launched a Public Artwork contest which is divided in two categories – 17 years and under/18 years and over.

Contestants are being invited to submit turtle themed works of art made primarily with recycled materials. This can be in the form of small and beautiful pieces of jewellery, handicraft such as key ring or to more life size turtle inspired works. 

The deadline to submit entries is July 22, 2016.

There are some amazing prizes to be won, including dinner for two at a five-star resort, a 4G smartphone, scuba dives and trips to nearby islands. The best part is that it is free to enter!

The Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival brings together various organisations and government departments working in sea turtle conservation and education, to raise awareness of Seychelles’ sea turtle populations.

Both green turtles (torti-d-mer) and hawksbill turtles (kare) nest on Seychelles beaches. Traditionally they were hunted for their carapace and for food but in 1994 the Seychelles government made it illegal to kill, possess or eat turtle meat. Despite this protection, poaching continues to this day and sea turtles now face a number of additional threats, including pollution, entanglement in fishing gear and habitat destruction.

This year’s festival will start with an opening ceremony on August 5 followed by the eagerly anticipated ‘Family Fun Day’ at Beau Vallon on Saturday August 6. The Family Fun Day will once again be an opportunity for the general public, tourists and turtle enthusiasts to visit the stalls of the various organisations, learn about turtle conservation and join in some turtle themed activities. There will be face painting, a sandcastle competition and plenty of delicious food on sale.

For more information about the competition and about the Seychelles Sea Turtle Festival please visit the Facebook page or check out the following website – www.seychellesseaturtlefestival.org