Night Patrols and Nesting Activities on the Beaches

Okinawa's beaches serve as nesting grounds for green turtles, loggerhead turtles, and hawksbill turtles. The main nesting season runs from May to September, but activity begins as early as the end of March when mother turtles arrive in Okinawa’s waters, where they typically remain throughout the nesting season.

The sea turtle conservation organization currently has around 60 local volunteers who, during the nesting season, patrol 30–40 km of Okinawa’s beaches on nights when a certain minimum tide level is exceeded—which occurs on about half of all nights—to document and support turtle nesting activity.

In 2024, the following nesting activities were recorded:

• April: 14 false crawls, no nests ("false crawls" means a mother turtle comes ashore, but no eggs are necessarily laid)
• May: 30 false crawls, 10 nests
• June: 29 false crawls, 6 nests
• July: 9 false crawls, 5 nests, 15 hatchlings
• August and September: No false crawls or new nests, but 9 hatchlings

Our program participants are part of these patrols from April 10 to July 30 (when false crawls and nesting happens) and are assigned to three beaches: Tancha (1.2 km), Ukaji/Yokuda (1 km), and Uza (400 m). In 2024, 90% of the false crawls in April and May were recorded at Tancha, while 90% of those in June and July occurred at Ukaji/Yokuda. Patrols are planned accordingly. In 2024, Tancha recorded 5 nests, Ukaji/Yokuda had 7 nests, and Uza had 5 nests. Each intern/volunteer is scheduled for five nights per week in one of two shifts: Shift 1: 9:00 PM to 12:30 AM; Shift 2: 12:30 AM to 4:00 AM. As an intern/volunteer you will be brought by car to the beach assigned to you at the start of your shift and picked up at the end.

Each patrol team consists of three person per shift, using red flashlights to avoid disturbing the turtles. If a nesting turtle is observed, you would call a trained team member, known as "nest technician," to collect data and provide proper care. These technicians are government-licensed to manage nesting activities, and as an intern or volunteer, you would assist them when turtles are observed nesting or nests are discovered.

If a sea turtle mother digs a pit and is motionless except for the rise and fall of her body as she breathes, it can be assumed that she is in a labor trance and can be approached from behind. If, however, she is facing the ocean and there is dense vegetation or other obstacles (e.g., a wall) behind her, the nest technician must be absolutely certain that she is in labor before approaching from the front or side.

When the turtle is confirmed to be laying eggs, the nest technician takes a photo and attaches a flipper tag for identification, measures the turtle, records observations or videos the process for data collection, and then retreats. You can assist with this.

After egg-laying, the tides are assessed to determine whether the turtle can return to the water without assistance. If necessary, help is provided. The need for nest relocation is also evaluated. Relocation is only conducted when necessary, such as in cases of high erosion risk or planned construction on the beach, and is done as close as possible to the original site, usually on the same beach.

The nest location is marked and protected with a cage to safeguard the eggs from predators such as dogs, crabs, and wildlife threats. An infrared camera is installed at the nest before the expected hatching period.

When the hatchlings emerge, interns and volunteers ensure they are not disturbed on their way to the ocean. After hatching, the eggs are excavated to collect data, such as the number of eggs and the hatching success rate.

If an injured turtle is found, it is taken to the Churaumi Aquarium for veterinary treatment and rehabilitation. The marine turtle conservation organization operates Okinawa’s only 24-hour sea turtle rescue hotline, which anyone can call to report an injured turtle.

If a dead turtle is found, a necropsy is performed on the beach by a licensed team member, with interns observing and assisting. Possible causes of death include drowning (e.g., being caught in a fishing net), disease, ingestion of plastic, boat collisions, or, during winter, lethargy caused by cold water and wind temperatures. Data on deceased turtles is collected. During the winter months, early morning beach patrols are often conducted to search for stranded, lethargic turtles and rescue them.

Key Tasks for Interns During Night Patrols (April 10–July 30):

• Spotting nesting activity and assisting the nest technician
  • Spotting nesting activity.
  • Observing and documenting mother turtles' behaviors, including crawling, nesting, and hatching processes.
  • Alerting a nest technician to mark, measure, and collect additional data.
  • Assisting with nest relocation if necessary.
  • Removing trash from the beach, including ghost nets, to improve nesting conditions.
• Nest protection:
  • Safeguarding nests against predators like dogs and crabs.
  • Installing infrared cameras to monitor hatching.
  • Ensuring hatchlings reach the ocean undisturbed.
• Turtle Rescue and Examination:
  • Assisting with transportation of injured turtles to the Churaumi Aquarium for treatment.
  • Assisting and observing necropsies of dead turtles and analyzing causes of death, such as drowning, plastic ingestion, or boat collisions.
• Data Collection:
  • Recording data on nesting, hatching, and mortality for long-term research.

Hatching time in August and September

During the months of August and September you can assist with hatchlings and analyzing nests. No new nesting activity is expected during these months.

Year-Round Tasks for Intern and Volunteers

• Organizing and assisting with large-scale beach cleanups twice a month (with 30–100 local volunteers each time).
• Developing educational materials and conducting programs at local schools and for other groups.
• Analyzing data with software.
• Participating in international data exchanges.
• Planning events (e.g., Fun Run, Turtle Festival in October, ocean-themed art exhibitions), coordinating with sponsors, city officials, and local businesses, and contributing ideas for new initiatives.
• Assisting with administrative tasks such as marketing, fundraising, donor communication, and creating flyers and merchandise.
• Assistance with the spring, summer, and winter camp programs for children and teenagers (each camp lasts 1–2 weeks).
• The organization operates an interactive online map for turtle identification, allowing users to upload photos of sea turtles spotted in the ocean. These images help identify individual turtles. While many photos are uploaded from popular tourist diving spots, large portions of the coastline lack images and data. The organization plans to establish its own diving team to systematically document the entire coastline, with 6–10 divers working daily along Okinawa’s main island.
• Advocacy Work: The organization collaborates with fishermen associations and government agencies to promote sea turtle conservation.

Academic Recognition

A professor of marine ecology (PhD) is part of the team and facilitates the accreditation of university credits for interns. A certificate is issued upon completing the internship.

Booking Process

You can start by sending us an inquiry. We require your CV/résumé in English, along with a short motivation statement. A brief online interview with the turtle conservation organization will follow. No prior experience is required, but motivation and a professional and serious work attitude are important.