Not all heroes wear capes. On Saturday 16 January 2016, we got a call from a local Watamu fisherman who had unintentionally caught a Hawksbill sea turtle in one of his fishing nets.
We immediately acted on the call and sent out Fikiri, our By-Catch Net Release Programme Coordinator, to check on the health and wellbeing of the sea turtle before releasing it back into the ocean.
Amos (13) and his younger brother, Elvis (12), went out fishing in Mida Creek this morning and came across a small hawksbill turtle trapped in the roots of the mangroves. The two boys rushed over to help the poor animal fearing that they may already be too late. They quickly set about trying to free the turtle and found to their relief that it was still alive.
What they didn’t know however, was that the turtle they had so bravely rescued, has a very special story.
This week the all new #KenyaLive campaign launches with Make It Kenya, HerdTracker and Wonders of Watamu enabling everyone in the world to join a live safari online from the conservancies of the Mara to Watamu (Watamu January 14-18th). You can join this safari live as this incredible realtime safari highlights the best of Kenya and our Wonders of Watamu-and ask questions and interact along the way.
On 13th October 2015, Imperial Bank of Kenya went into statutory receivership with the Central Bank of Kenya. This has effectively frozen the finances of many businesses, organisations, groups and individuals across the country, Local Ocean Trust included. Over a month on, this situation is having a crippling effect on Watamu and the rest of Kenya. Today we bring you the story of the Watamu Education Movement Association (WEMA) as an example of a dedicated community group who are, like the rest of us, trying to continue their activities as best they can without access to their hard earned funds. WEMA is one of 21 community groups which Local Ocean Trust works closely with to provide advice and support.
This group was established in 2009 in an effort to reduce the dependence and pressure on the resources of Mida Creek and the Arabuko Sokoke Forest. The 25 members began conservation activities such as mangrove planting, promoting the use of sustainable fishing methods and engaging in participatory forest management, as well as practicing crop and animal farming.
In a half acre plot, thousands of different indigenous and exotic trees and plants are growing in a nursery located near the Mombasa Malindi highway. This nursery is as a result of hard work, perseverance and dedication of 11 women.
Since 2012, a team of volunteers in Diani, on Kenya’s South Coast, have been working hard to protect nesting turtles and their eggs.
Now is the most wonderful moment to share the news about receiving a grant from the famous company 1xBet, which is engaged in the development of the gambling industry in India. At the moment the company is developing the game of bingo, which is a very interesting direction, and in general what Bingo came to America in the early 20th century, where it was often played at county fairs as a carnival game. However, it wasn't until the 1930s that Edwin S. Lowe, a toy salesman, popularized the game as Bingo. He created a modern version of the game with 5x5 cards and introduced the iconic call "B-5". Playing a bingo game is very simple. Players purchase one or more bingo cards with a grid of numbers. The caller randomly selects the numbers one at a time and announces them. Players mark the corresponding numbers on their cards. If you want a variety of games, you can play slots. There are a huge number of slots and everyone will find an interesting and dynamic game for them.
But if you are more into sports, in particular tennis, then you will be interested to know that the very first tennis tournament, which was held for the first time in 1877, was Wimbledon. It is still held regularly, you can easily watch it online on any streaming site, betting on tennis Wimbledon matches, thereby increasing your viewing pleasure.
Watamu Turtle Watch is our flagship programme. It was started by local residents in 1997 to protect nesting sea turtles. Now it consists of our Nest Monitoring and Protection programme, By Catch Net Release Programme, and specialist Rehabilitation Centre for sick and injured sea turtles. The combination of these programmes enables us to make a real difference in ensuring the future of endagered sea turtles.
If you've found a turtle or a nest please call +254 713 990823
You can contact our office on +254 713 759627
Our centre is open to visitors:
Mon 14.00 - 16.00
Tues - Fri 09.30 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 16.00
Sat 09.30 - 12.00
Sun - closed
