Luxury Meets Conservation: Saving Turtles in Paradise

Quasar Expeditions

Since 2000, each May 23rd commemorates the world’s love and adoration for the turtle and tortoise. World Turtle Day was started by American Tortoise Rescue to advocate and raise awareness for the protection of all species of turtles. YTL Hotels’s Gaya Island Resort and Tanjong Jara Resort shine a special spotlight on the species and its various threats to play a proactive role in their preservation. Meanwhile, in the mystical Galápagos, Quasar Expeditions continues to safeguard and protect the Galápagos Giant Tortoise and Green Sea Turtle.

Gaya Island Resort is a five-star property located on Borneo set within the protected Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Par, committed to leading the community in marine conservation. The Gaya Island Resort Marine Centre advocates three conservation pillars – Turtle Rescue, Coral Reef Restoration and Conservation through Education. The Marine Centre rescues, treats, and habilitates endangered green sea turtles in need until they are released to a safe environment under the watchful eye of Resident Marine Biologist Dr. Nicholas Pilcher.

Tanjong Jara Resort, a luxury property nestled along the unspoiled East Coast of Malaysia, works to preserve the beauty of its surroundings and enhance the protection of local wildlife. The resort co-established a turtle hatchery to safeguard the nests from predators in 2016, and has been helping to ensure the safe release of young hatchlings ever since. At their turtle hatchery, guests have the opportunity to learn about sea turtles and the dangers they face while their nests are safeguarded until the hatchlings are ready to return to their natural habitat. Guests can participate in nest inspections and witness the emergence of the young hatchlings, as well as symbolically adopt a turtle themselves, pledging to help save nests from poachers. 

600 miles of the coast of Ecuador, the Galápagos Islands are a guarded safehaven for the endangered reptiles. Quasaar Expeditions, offering two different small-ship departures through the archipelago, work hand-in-hand with the Galapágos National Park to keep their home pristine while offering up-close-and-personal encounters. Quasar combines entertainment with education, giving guests the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to cherish the world around them. Evelyn Jackson, a past guest, has collaborated with Quasar on her book, Florie Finds a Family. Every purchase aids The Florie Initiative and the Charles Darwin Foundation, allowing the book to not only be a tale about a tortoise, but a bigger mission helping to preserve the islands.