---
title: Going on holiday - Save Turtle
description: Learn how to choose a responsible turtle rescue centre and behave around sea turtles in the water and on nesting beaches.
url: "https://saveturtle.net/tourist"
type: static
generatedAt: "2026-10-24T09:58:38.141Z"
---

![Snorkling](https://cdn.nuasite.com/assets/saveturtle/df5d666b56f5-hero_tourist.png)
# Going On Holiday?

## Do you want to see sea turtles?

In many places, newly hatched turtles are kept in small pools instead of being **released into the ocean**. In these pools, their muscles weaken, they cannot learn to swim, and they lose the instinct that would guide them back to their nesting beaches 20–30 years later.

Staff at these centers usually know this doesn't help protection — but it brings a lot of money from tourists through entrance fees and photos.
  ![Sea turtle on sand](https://cdn.nuasite.com/assets/saveturtle/70a5f57555b8-turtle_tourist.jpg)
## How to recognize a good rescue center
    ![Good](/assets/icons/good.png)
Look for a center that provides natural protection:

- No pools – or pools only for visibly injured adults, never hatchlings.
 - Beaches and nesting females are protected from poachers.
 - Staff relocate eggs – they never buy them.
 - Hatchlings are released on the day of hatching, when sand is cool (at night or dusk).
 - Staff keep a respectful distance during release; visitors are not allowed to touch turtles or use flash photography.
  ![Good practice example](https://cdn.nuasite.com/assets/saveturtle/35e51e9977e9-tourist_good.jpg)     ![Bad](/assets/icons/bad.png)
Be cautious of centers that:

- Keep hatchlings in tanks “for safety”.
 - Allow tourists to handle turtles.
 - Release hatchlings at the wrong time of day for photo opportunities.
  ![Bad practice example](https://cdn.nuasite.com/assets/saveturtle/8ca59569f77b-tourist_bad.jpg)
### Releasing hatchlings - a shocking difference



### Recommended turtle conservation sites in Sri Lanka

Thank you for choosing projects where you can watch turtles nesting naturally, rather than places that keep them in tanks.

## How to behave around sea turtles
   ![Turtle in the water](https://cdn.nuasite.com/assets/saveturtle/c06ebfe30e30-on_the_water.jpg)
### In the water
   ![Good](/assets/icons/good.png)
- **Enjoy the encounter** without disturbing the turtle.
 - **Keep a safe distance** (at least 2 meters).
 - **Allow the turtle to swim freely** away.
    ![Bad](/assets/icons/bad.png)
- **Don’t touch** or feed the turtle.
 - **Don’t block** its path to the surface.
 - **Don’t chase** the turtle.
      ![Turtle on the beach](https://cdn.nuasite.com/assets/saveturtle/fe8e0b7cef29-on_the_beach.jpg)
### On the beach
   ![Good](/assets/icons/good.png)
- **Respect nesting** or hatching moments from a distance.
 - **Use only red light** at night, shining from behind.
 - **Stay quiet** and move slowly.
 - **Take photos only without flash.**
    ![Bad](/assets/icons/bad.png)
- **Don't touch** adult turtles or hatchlings.
 - **Don't block the way** of nesting females.
 - **Don't use white flashlights** or flash photography.
         ![Turtle](/assets/icons/turtle-holiday.png)  **1. Sea turtles are vital for ocean ecosystems.**
They maintain healthy seagrass beds and keep coral reefs in balance.
    ![Money](/assets/icons/money-holiday.png)  **2. Your money can make a difference.**
Don’t waste your support on harmful practices. Choose the right way.
      ![A hatchling crossing the wet sand towards the sea at sunset](/uploads/tourist-closing-beach.jpg)
Your money matters. Support places that protect nature, not exploit it.