RIU-Backed Conservation Efforts in Cape Verde Release Over 150,000 Loggerhead Turtle Hatchlings in 2024
Cape Verde Celebrates a Successful 2024 Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting Season, Supported by RIU Hotels & Resorts
(IN SHORT) Projeto Biodiversidade and BIOS Cabo Verde have reported the successful outcomes of the 2024 loggerhead sea turtle nesting season, with over 59,000 nests documented across Sal and Boa Vista islands. Supported by RIU Hotels & Resorts, the conservation efforts led to nearly 151,000 hatchlings released into the sea, and experimental measures were implemented to counter the effects of climate change on sex ratios. The islands also saw a continued drop in turtle poaching. RIU contributes to these initiatives through logistical and financial support, reflecting its global commitment to biodiversity protection under its Proudly Committed strategy.
(PRESS RELEASE) PALMA DE MALLORCA, 2025-Apr-14 — /Travel PR News/ — Two of Cape Verde’s leading environmental organisations—Projeto Biodiversidade and BIOS Cabo Verde—have shared the results of the 2024 loggerhead sea turtle nesting season, marking significant progress in conservation and protection efforts. These initiatives are backed by RIU Hotels & Resorts, whose commitment to biodiversity forms part of its Proudly Committed sustainability strategy. The hotel chain operates six properties across Cape Verde and plays an active role in safeguarding native wildlife.
The island of Boa Vista proved vital to conservation efforts this season, hosting approximately 60% of Cape Verde’s nesting loggerhead population. Within the Tartarugas Natural Reserve alone, 22,427 nests were documented. BIOS Cape Verde protected 600 of these in hatcheries, resulting in a 77.9% hatching success rate and the release of 34,592 hatchlings. Additionally, 7,576 turtles were monitored, and 169 rescued. The organisation also continued trials aimed at mitigating climate change impacts, achieving promising results in altering hatchling sex ratios—a crucial step, as global warming increasingly leads to a female-biased population.
Meanwhile, Projeto Biodiversidade reported 36,587 nests on Sal Island, with 2,225 safeguarded in hatcheries, including one situated near RIU’s beachfront properties. With a hatch rate of 82.3%, a total of 115,962 hatchlings were successfully released into the sea. Along a 27-kilometre stretch of monitored coastline, 1,645 turtles were observed. To address temperature-related challenges in incubation, shaded hatcheries helped lower sand temperatures by 2°C, encouraging the birth of more male turtles and helping to counter climate-driven imbalances.
In addition to these biological successes, Sal has seen a notable drop in turtle poaching, which declined from 440 recorded cases in 2021 to just 110 in 2024. Volunteers from both NGOs continue to monitor hatcheries, supported by RIU, which funds food and resources for beach surveillance teams.
These efforts are vital for the protection of the Caretta caretta species, which is currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). RIU’s environmental involvement extends beyond Cape Verde, with parallel conservation projects underway in Mexico, Jamaica, Mauritius, and Aruba to protect jaguars, green macaws, whale sharks, cottontail rabbits, and other species.
Media contact:
Tel: +34 971 74 30 30 // prensa@riu.com
SOURCE: RIU Hotels & Resorts
