Three species of endangered sea turtles–green, hawksbill, and loggerhead–play an essential role in maintaining healthy ecosystems around the island of Curaçao. However, their populations have declined significantly.

In 2024, Seacology made a grant to Sea Turtle Conservation Curaçao (STCC) for a public outreach campaign to stop tourism practices that harm marine turtles. STCC put up signs and gave information packages to the more than 100 dive centers on the island. This included information on how to spot and report Fibropapillomatosis (FG), a virus that causes turtles to develop tumors.

STCC gives out information to tourists and locals from a small pace at a shopping center. But its larger goal has been to open a center that could treat turtles affected with FG, for which Curaçao is a global hotspot. It would also house turtles rescued after becoming trapped in sargassum, a kind of seaweed that is increasing due to climate change. In the past year, at least 30 turtles were rescued.

Seacology is making that dream a reality by funding a turtle rehabilitation facility that will provide life-saving care for turtles from Curaçao and neighboring islands. The grant will pay for infrastructure, medical equipment, and setup of the space, in a community center. The center will also serve as an education and engagement hub, reaching hundreds of local students each month, and teach visitors how to avoid harming turtles.

To support the facility long-term, STCC will operate a small gift shop, sell snacks and drinks, and charge for tours. Curaçao receives approximately 1.5 million tourists each year, so engaging with just a tiny percentage of those visitors should fund ongoing operations.