World Sea Turtle Day 16 June
The Great
Cook Island
Turtle ID
Supported by
About This Survey
See a turtle. Take its portrait. Give it an ID.
Join Green Heroes in the water on World Sea Turtle Day for a special citizen-science mission: to begin building an individual catalogue of the turtles that call Cook Island home.
Cook Island is already known for its resident green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles. But we are interested in going one step further. Who are they? How many are there? And which turtles keep coming back?
We will snorkel the reef looking for turtles and, whenever conditions allow, photograph them from a respectful distance. We will capture the distinctive markings and patterns on their heads, faces and shells, and use those photographs to help distinguish one turtle from another.
Each encounter becomes a record. Turtle #001. Turtle #002. Turtle #003… Over time, repeat sightings could help us build a growing picture of individual turtles, their movements and their relationship with Cook Island.
No turtle-identification experience needed. We will teach you what to look for and work through the photographs together.
Come snorkel with the turtles. Help us get to know them, one individual at a time.
the water
gear hire +$20
resident here
welcome
On the Day
Our turtle mission
Five steps, repeated on every future survey.
01
Find
Search the reef for resident turtles, working the areas where they are most often seen resting and feeding.
02
Photograph
Capture clear identification images — head, face and shell — from a respectful distance, without changing the animal’s behaviour.
03
Identify
Compare markings and patterns. The scales on a turtle’s face are as individual as a fingerprint.
04
Catalogue
Add each individual to our growing turtle record, so it can be recognised again next time.
05
Repeat
Look for the same turtles on future surveys and start building a picture of who stays, who returns and who moves on.
06
Record everything else
Every snorkel is another chance to add to the living biodiversity record of Cook Island, so we log whatever else we meet along the way.
What to Bring
Come prepared for a snorkel
We provide the briefing, the ID guidance and the coordination. You bring yourself and your gear, or hire ours.
- Mask, snorkel and fins — or add gear hire for $20 when you book, and we supply mask, fins, snorkel and wetsuit
- Underwater camera, GoPro or phone housing
- Wetsuit — June water is cool, 3mm minimum recommended
- Sun protection: rashie, hat, reef-safe sunscreen
- Water and a snack
- Warm dry layers for afterwards
Event Details
Meeting Point
Fingal Head Boat Ramp, NSW
Date
Wed 16 June 2027
Cost
$119 per person
Gear
Bring your own, or +$20
Skill Level
No experience needed
Group Size
Limited — get in touch early
World Sea Turtle Day is held annually on 16 June and forms part of Sea Turtle Week. We approach turtles under our own Sea Turtle Code of Conduct — no touching, chasing or blocking.
16 June 2027
Come and meet the turtles
Help us start the catalogue. Register your interest and we will send booking details closer to the day.