A second chance for the sea turtle Aquamarine
Christmas donation instead of Christmas presents:
Together with our cooperation partner Aktionsgemeinschaft Artenschutz (AGA) e.V., with whom we have worked since 2025 on the protection of mangrove forests in Kenya , we are supporting another project this year for the protection of an important ecosystem. Our Christmas donation benefits the Turtle Conservation Centre in South Africa, which also works with our partner AGA. The centre takes care of injured and endangered sea turtles like Aquamarine. With our financial support, we want to help Aquamarine and many other sea turtles regain their freedom.
Turtle found injured on the beach
Aquamarine is a young hawksbill sea turtle.
In April 2026 she was found seriously injured on the beach in False Bay near Cape Town. Immediate attention was needed for a deep wound on her left shoulder. After her rescue, she was taken for treatment to the Turtle Conservation Centre run by the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation in Cape Town. The centre’s caregivers trained specifically for sea turtles and a specialized veterinarian focus on the turtles’ development.
Aquamarine lives in a large tank
equipped with rock formations, caves, sea grass and seaweed, all of which simulate her natural habitat. There she can practice the behavior she’ll need later for her life in the wild. The team offers her food in a specially made dispenser. It requires Aquamarine to search and use her bird-like beak to pull the feed from slits, holes and tight angles. These little challenges triggeer her natural foraging and feeding instincts, keep her active mentally and physicially, and prepare her step by step for her return to freedom. Regular check-ups are made during the healing process.
The good news is that Aquamarine’s injury has healed nearly completely. When her development continues successfully, she could be released into the ocean in spring 2027.
Endangered species
The hawksbill sea turtle is classified as an endangered species around the world. Its natural habitat stretches over tropical oceans, mangrove forests and coral reefs. The turtle plays an important role in maintaining ecological balance. With its characteristic bill, it can reach food in the smallest crevices in coral reefs and thus play its part in maintaining the health of this delicate ecosystem.
Despite international protective measures, the species is still endangered. That makes every successful rescue and return to the wild so important. Depending on the season, the centre treats dozens or hundreds of these marine reptiles. For the employees, every single turtle counts
