Tourists in São Tomé gather to watch release of 400 baby turtles into the sea

Dozens of tourists have gathered at the Vila Maria beach on the island of São Tomé and Príncipe to watch as 400 baby sea turtles are released into the sea.

The turtle hatchlings have spent two months incubating in the sand in nesting sites monitored by islanders working to protect the endangered species.

"It's the first time, with some enthusiasm no doubt, that I've seen nature in full swing, them going to their natural habitat after being born on the sand," says Jeremias Rodrigues, a tourist visiting the island.

On the west coast of Africa, São Tomé and Príncipe is the only breeding refuge for the Sada turtle. The protection and preservation of these species in the archipelago is a constant challenge.

The release is overseen as part of an initiative of the Tatô programme, an international NGO based on the island of São Tomé and Príncipe which manages the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems.

"The Sada turtle, we have the last reproductive species on the West African coast. Other countries have them, but there are only a few, but we have a population that, if we protect them, can increase and repopulate this area," says Antunes de Pina, head of the Tatô programme.

"On the main nesting beaches, we have people who work at night to protect them, and at the same time, they collect data that is important for us to carry out studies and we also take a lot of advantage of this to raise awareness," she explains.

The Tatô programme has been the main driver of sea turtle conservation and community empowerment in São Tomé.

Its work involves tackling the complex socio-economic challenges and the threats persisting on the island, demonstrating the importance of working with an integrative approach on a wide range of fields such as research, monitoring and protection of critical nesting and foraging grounds, advocacy and law enforcement, capacity building and economic diversification; education, communication and multi-stakeholder public awareness.