Twenty green sea turtles rescued from a suspected smuggling boat crawled back into the sea off Bali, Indonesia, on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Marine police officers carried the turtles from a conservation center on Serangan Island, known locally as Turtle Island, to the shoreline and released them into the water.

Police had intercepted 22 green sea turtles on Saturday, Oct. 10, all of them alive on an empty boat, according to an Associated Press report published by Mongabay. The suspected smugglers fled before officers arrived after residents reported possible turtle trafficking in the area. Two of the turtles were still sick and remained in care.

The release is a small win for a species protected in Indonesia for more than three decades, and it shows how much depends on local residents speaking up. The same green turtles that nest in Southeast Asia have close relatives nesting on beaches from Florida to Hawaii, where many of the same threats apply.

A Tip From Residents and an Empty Boat

The seizure began with a report from people living near the coast who suspected turtles were being trafficked. By the time Bali Water and Air Police officers reached the boat, the crew was gone, leaving the 22 turtles behind.

The animals were taken to the conservation center on Serangan Island for checks before release. Officers did final health inspections there, then moved 20 turtles by small truck to the shore. The two that remained sick were kept for further treatment, and officials did not give a timeline for their release.

"We hope that no one will dare to capture, keep, or trade these protected species anymore," said Gusti Agung Purnama Wirahadi of the Bali Water and Air Police.

No arrests had been reported in the case as of the AP report. The investigation into who owned the boat and where the turtles were headed was not described in detail, and police did not say whether they had identified the people who fled or the buyers they may have been supplying.

Turtles are not released until they pass health checks for a reason. Animals held in cramped conditions can be stressed, injured or dehydrated — releasing a weak turtle too early can leave it unable to feed or escape predators. Keeping the two sick turtles back reflects that caution rather than a setback for the case.

A Trade with Deep Roots in Bali

Indonesia has protected sea turtles under its conservation and fisheries laws since 1990. A 2018 Environment Ministry regulation clarified protections for all six sea turtle species found in Indonesian waters, and other rules prohibit trading them.

Even so, the trade has proven hard to stamp out. Bali was once a major hub for green turtle trafficking, partly because turtle meat was historically used in Balinese Hindu offerings, according to the AP. In June, authorities on Bali's Pegametan coast foiled an attempt to sell 21 protected green sea turtles and arrested a 67-year-old man suspected of storing them for sale.

The pressure on green turtles extends worldwide. A 2022 study by Arizona State University researchers, cited by the AP, found green turtles made up 56% of sea turtles killed by people over the 30 years ending in 2020.

Protected Waters From Bali to Florida

Green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, are found in tropical and subtropical seas around the world. In the United States, NOAA Fisheries lists the species as several distinct population segments under the Endangered Species Act, with some listed as endangered and others, including the North Atlantic population, as threatened.

Green turtles nest on beaches in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii and U.S. Pacific territories. NOAA reports upward nesting trends in Florida and Hawaii, a hopeful sign decades after hunting drove numbers down. "Historically, green turtles were killed in extraordinarily high numbers for their fat, meat, and eggs," the agency notes.

Today the main threats NOAA lists include accidental capture in fishing gear, direct harvest of turtles and eggs, loss of nesting and feeding habitat, pollution and marine debris, disease, vessel strikes and changing environmental conditions. Smuggling cases like the one in Bali represent the harvest threat in its most direct form.

Spotting and Reporting Wildlife Trafficking

The Bali case shows that tips from ordinary people often make the difference. Travelers in Indonesia should avoid buying any product made from turtle shell, meat or eggs, which is illegal there, and can report suspected trafficking to local police.

In the United States, it is illegal to harm, harass or possess sea turtles or their eggs under the Endangered Species Act. Beachgoers who find a sick, injured or stranded sea turtle should keep their distance and report it through NOAA's marine animal reporting page, which lists regional stranding hotlines. During nesting season, coastal residents can help by keeping beaches dark at night and leaving nesting turtles undisturbed.

Several questions remain open in the Bali case, including who ran the smuggling operation, where the turtles were going and whether the two remaining animals will recover. Nature World News will watch for updates from Indonesian authorities.

The bottom line is that 20 protected turtles got a second chance this week because residents spoke up and police acted quickly — though the trade that put them on that boat has not gone away. Protecting green turtles, in Bali or in Florida, still depends on people noticing and reporting what they see.

What Readers Want to Know

What happened in Bali?

Marine police seized 22 live green sea turtles from an abandoned boat on Oct. 10 after residents reported suspected trafficking. Twenty were released into the sea off Serangan Island on Oct. 13.

Why weren't all the turtles released?

Two turtles were still sick and remained at the conservation center for treatment.

Were the smugglers caught?

The suspected smugglers fled before officers arrived. No arrests had been reported as of Oct. 13.

Are green sea turtles protected?

Yes. Indonesia has protected sea turtles since 1990. In the United States, green turtle populations are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Do green sea turtles nest in the United States?

Yes. They nest in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hawaii and U.S. Pacific territories.

What should I do if I find an injured sea turtle?

Keep your distance and report it through NOAA's marine animal reporting page, which lists regional stranding hotlines.