World Sea Turtles Day
Explore Since 2021, Oevaali Art Shop has proudly partnered with Olive Ridley Project (ORP), supporting their work to rescue, provide clinical care, and protect sea turtles across the oceans we call home. Founded in 2013 by Dr Martin Stelfox, who was working as a Marine Biologist in the Maldives at the time, the Olive Ridley Project is a science-led conservation charity dedicated to protecting sea turtles and their habitats across the Indian Ocean and beyond. Since its founding, ORP’s Marine Turtle Rescue Centre (MTRC) in the Maldives has treated more than 270 injured and sick sea turtles, with over 156 released after providing clinical care: an excellent outcome in wildlife medicine. Established in 2017 as the country’s first fully equipped, veterinary surgeon-led sea turtle rescue centre, MTRC pioneered dedicated clinical care for turtles in the Maldives. What began in the Maldives as a response to olive ridley turtles entangled in ghost nets has grown into an international organisation working across rescue, conservation medicine, research, and educational outreach. “Sea turtles have emerged as the icons of marine conservation, but the threats that affect them continue to loom large. Habitat destruction, marine debris, coastal development, rising temperatures, are all threats that continue to affect populations. However, hope is on the horizon. The recent improvement in the conservation status of green turtles globally, from endangered to vulnerable, is proof that conservation efforts work. While green turtles remain endangered in Maldives, we now know sustained action can drive change. So this World Sea Turtle Day, let’s acknowledge the challenges, but let's also keep hope, and persevere for a better tomorrow – not just for sea turtles, but for the larger marine ecosystem they have come to represent.” – Olive Ridley Project 5% of your purchase of the Turtle Silver +Sapphire Pendant is donated to the Olive Ridley Project and their work for our oceans. Turtle Silver + Sapphire Pendant