Founded 2015

About the Turtleman Foundation

The Turtleman Foundation was founded by Joseph, also known as “The Turtleman”. Founded with a goal to be able to give back to the cause of helping in saving the sea turtles, aiding in ocean conservation, and giving back to his passion, the ocean. Over the years The Turtleman Foundation has been able to help local sea turtle research centers within the US, as well as more recently being able to donate outside of the US in international projects. The Turtleman Foundation has been able to donate and help in funding important projects and research objectives of various ocean and marine life conservation organizations.

· Gulfarium Care Center

Our C.A.R.E. Center is extremely grateful to have received a grant from The Turtleman Foundation! The awarded funding of $6,700 will help us to purchase medical and hospital supplies to support the care of our turtle patients, as well as a new beach transport cart for turtle releases! This grant would allow for us to upgrade our microscope, invest in a new suction unit, restock commonly used items such as ceftazidime, an antibiotic, fluids sterline saline, lactate ringers, and dextrose, as well as, vitamin B-12, B-complex, and Meloxicam. These are routinely used fluids, antibiotics, and vitamins. We will also be purchasing items such as cryovials, to store plasma and serum samples, I-stat cartridges to process in-house blood samples, IV lines to administer IV fluids. We would also be using the donation to purchase and ultrasonic instrument cleanser as well as new surgical and necropsy packs. We currently have old, incomplete packs. The new packs would allows us to have the best equipment to provide care to our patients and the cleaner would extend the life of our instruments.

2021 Recipient

Additionally, we will be purchasing ETHA foam to pad the tubs for transporting animals. As well as a Gorilla cart to aid in transporting sea turtle from the transport vehicle to the beach for public releases. We are also in need of additional cleaning supplies to better treat and take care of our holding habitats. Therefore, we will be purchasing stackable container to put scrubbers in once cleaned to prevent cross contamination of algae for each tank. A more sturdy longer pool cleaner to aid in pool cleanliness. The Turtleman Foundation was founded with a goal to help save sea turtles, aid in ocean conservation, and give back to the ocean. Over the years, The Turtleman Foundation has been able to help local sea turtle research centers all over the world!

2021 Recipient

With the generous donation of resources from The Turtleman Foundation, we will be able to improve the care, management and quarantine facilities. We will acquire important equipment and supplies for their management and care, such as a UV sterilizer to improve the filtration system in the care area. A refrigerator to preserve the food and supplemental jellies that are provided weekly. Additionally, we will be able to obtain the ideal supplement for them, which covers all the needs and requirements for these species when they are under human care. We also are in need for a new part of the hose that is used to pull water directly from the sea. Thanks to this donation we will be able to provide them with the best possible welfare during their stay in the aquarium.

· Mundo Marino

The Mundo Marino Aquarium is a non-profit foundation created in 1999 by people who were interested in making known the wonders of the marine species and ecosystems near the city of Santa Marta, where it has its headquarters. The aquarium is an educational and scientific tool, a complement for students of schools, colleges and universities in the teaching of natural sciences and actively participating in the protection and conservation of the natural environment. Additionally, we conduct guided tours where we teach visitors the importance of organisms, their role within the ecosystem and their threats, with approximately 70,000 visits per year of national and foreign people. Mundo Marino Aquarium will be the pioneer in the implementation of interactive strategies for the development of environmental education and research programs, with emphasis on coastal ecosystems. It will promote training models on the correct use of marine resources for schools, colleges, universities and the general public. The Marine World Aquarium project will work to make its message known internationally through the support of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and similar entities.

· Tourtugas Fundación

The Turtleman Foundation has made a donation to help us expand the knowledge of our beloved sea turtles to locals and everyone around the world. The donation will used to create an informational book to help show the importance protecting the sea turtles and our ocean for the blind community. This is our Environmental Education Citizen Project (PROCEDA), where we understand environmental education as a complex, multidisciplinary and formative process for life, through which we promote values in the community that allow them to know their territory and their relationship with it. If we do not take care of what we know, we will hardly take care of something we do not know.

2021 Recipient

For this reason, at Tourtugas Foundation, we believe that the cultural appropriation of sea turtles can increase as knowledge about them is spread, contributing to the protection of this millenary species. We focus on sharing intellectual production about sea turtles in an optimal and appropriate way for the community in general, generating meaningful experiences for each person who participates in them.

2021 Recipient

· Coriacea

Over the years the amazing Foundation Coriacea supports and helps the sea turtle conservation located in the area called “Golfo de Uraba”, located in Antioquia, Colombia, South America. Our name is a tribute to the world’s largest sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, the leatherback sea, which was the inspiration for the creation of this foundation. We are a private, non-profit civil organization that seeks to promote research and conservation of biological diversity through activities that promote knowledge and appropriation of the environment in local communities and the general population.
The Turtleman Foundation joins the Foundation Coriacea to contribute to support and promote the conservation of the sea turtles that nests in the Gulf of Urabá located in Antioquia, Colombia, South America. This is carried out locally by the Environmental Conservation and Ecotourism Association (Acaetur). Through direct interaction activities with members of the local town, and the children’s community, and local ambientalists many sea turtles received help and support in Colombia, South America. For this purpose, The Turtleman Foundation donated $ 4,000,000 pesos. Thank you Joseph Conde “The Turtle Man”.

· Contamos Contigo Ecuador

Contamos Contigo Ecuador is a sea turtle environmental conservation organization located in Ecuador. This year we had a dream of being able to sponsor a conservation group in Ecuador, South America. This foundation Contamos Contigo Ecuador, opened their first encampment that we have been able to sponsor and help on their journey to helping the sea turtles in their area. We have successfully donated to their foundation as their first international donation received ever! This year they have successfully helped multiple turtle nests reach the sea, as well as helped to protect them during nesting season. They are a growing foundation that has been able to help in saving sea turtles in this region, and we are so happy to be a part of their cause.

2020 Recipient

2020 Recipient

· PROCTMM Ocean Conservation

This great organization is located in Colombia and known for the amazing research they do in helping the study and advancements of sea turtle lifespan and rescue. They were able to build a brand new water tank for the rehabilitated turtles they study to help in understanding and preventing the dissipation of our beloved sea turtles.

· Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Center

The Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Center is a great organization that we had the pleasure of being able to sponsor. This organization is known for the local work they do with local beach cleanup projects and turtle rescues. We were able to donate to this organization an ATV to help them mark, track, and hatch local sea turtle nests of the area, as well as host their well known beach cleanups.

2019 Recipient

2017 Recipient

· Florida Leatherback Association

This association is a great organization based in Florida, which specializes in leatherback turtle research as well as rescue and safe hatching. We were able to donate an ATV to this great organization to help them run across the beaches and make their surveying and rescue process faster to help them tag, rescue, and rehabilitate turtles in their area.

· Georgia Sea Turtle Center

The Georgia Jekyll Island Sea Turtle Center was the first organization that The Turtleman Foundation was able to sponsor in 2012. We loved to sponsor them for multiple years and helped them maintain their current sea turtle hospitals, as well as help them get a new holding tank for their turtles in rescue. This organization is known for their amazing sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation, and for the great work they do for the east coast turtles.

2015-2016 Recipient