The situation of the marine turtles led the International Union of Preservation of the Nature ( UICN) to consider ALL the species of turtles as threatened, in danger of extinction.
So since 1981, all the species are registered on the appendix I of the Washington agreement which forbids the business of the threatened species (CTES: agreement one International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Faun)

In this frame Le Méridien testifies its will to participate in the environmental protection while protecting a rare specie.

The team

A team takes charge daily of the turtle’s care centre: care, food… It is with attention that they are fed, looked after and loosened as soon as their state allows it.
A marine biologist will handle the overseeing of the centre. " Excursions discovery " will be organized to present to the children the interior lagoon of Le Méridien with its hundreds of fishes and the numerous turtles who live there. Equipped with mask and with snorkels the children will be made aware of the ecological stakes which exist around this specie; they can observe the turtles evolving freely in the lagoon.

The care

Le Méridien Bora Bora participates actively in the protection of these endangered species. An adapted program assures that all the collected turtles have survival capacities before being loosened into the ocean.
In coordination with the Ministry and the Delegation of the Environment, a team dedicates itself to the care and to the convalescence of the marine turtles. This center integrated into the exceptional frame of the hotel is unique in the world. Le Méridien Bora Bora also makes regular "breaks" to return the recovered turtles to the ocean.
Several types of wounds or deficiencies mark the turtles taken in Le Méridien Bora Bora: Severe weight loss following customs confiscations or due to prolonged stays in pearl farms.
Many customs seizures give place to new boarders in the lagoon; the turtles thus collected are treated in order to allow them to be up and about. Sometimes, the turtles which arrive are wounded by arrows of underwater fishing... or testify to various pathologies such as problems with scales...

The care is carried out by the hotel itself or a veterinary surgeon according to the gravity of the wound. The team of Le Méridien is of course assisted in this heavy task by the Management of the Environment and the veterinary surgeons. The first expertise is always carried out by the team present at the hotel and according to cases' the latter will seek further information from the local veterinary surgeons or large international specialists, such as George Balazs (Hawaii) which regularly advises its councils to Le Méridien’s team.

The care is carried out by the hotel itself or a veterinary surgeon according to the gravity of the wound. The team of Le Méridien is of course assisted in this heavy task by the Management of the Environment and the veterinary surgeons. The first expertise is always carried out by the team present at the hotel and according to cases' the latter will seek further information from the local veterinary surgeons or large international specialists, such as George Balazs (Hawaii) which regularly advises its councils to Le Méridien’s team.

Of course the ultimate goal of this center is to look after the turtles in order to be able to return them in their natural environment. To conclude this project of slackenings is to carried out regularly but always in a semi-official way in order to avoid any poaching.

Food

The appointment of 10:30 am at the turtles nursery is impossible to avoid at the time of a stay in Le Méridien Bora Bora.

The turtles are nourished every morning. They profit from a meal per day for those which remain in the lagoon; with the menu: fish, algae, octopus, gellyfish, shrimps and lobster head. For those which require particular care, a food adapted to their pathology their is given with food vitamins and complements. Of course, the turtles live in a semi-natural medium rich in life with its own ecosystem. It is thus always possible for them to be nourished by themselves throughout the day.
The observations in the lagoon showed besides their taste pronounced for the corals and the sponges which they scrape vigorously or the algae that they eat regularly.

!!! IF YOU WANT TO HELP US IN THE TURTLES CONSERVATION, PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE TURTLES AND FISHES, THIS COULD BE FATAL TO THEM!!!

Nursery

Each year a lot of baby turtles are entrusted to this center where they are ensured of a sufficient growth to escape from their future predatory. The customers will have the privilege of meeting the turtles in their natural environment, where they will be able to attend the meals, with the care... in the largest respect of the environment and the ecosystem.
2003 were without any doubt the year of the births in Le Méridien Bora Bora. Indeed, nearly 114 babies came to join the interior lagoon during November.
The mission of the hotel compared to the births is also to support them while taking care of the good site of the layings.
Indeed, it sometimes happens to have to move nests in order to protect them from the layings badly placed or being able to be covered in a too frequent way by the sea.
At April 1, 2004, many nests were thus changed place in order to support their chance to see being born the small tortoises. On the births of November 2004, 40 turtles were already slackened in their natural environment before the end May.

Le Méridien Bora Bora thus offers a single opportunity to you to meet these turtles during your stay. You will observe their behavior, the care and especially you will be able swim freely with them in their natural environment.

Some rules to take care of their peace will be to follow, as do not feed and do not touch turtles, in order to preserve this ecological dimension which is the raison d'être of this center.

For more informations please contact the turtles specialist or the beach team.

NOUS VOUS SOUHAITONS UN AGREABLE SEJOUR AU MERIDIEN BORA BORA.