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- Outdoor turtle pools: The large basins hold green and hawksbill turtles of different sizes, and you can watch them glide, surface and feed at close range. This is the sight most people come for, and it is best in the morning when the animals are active.
- The care clinic: Large windows let you see injured turtles being treated, with notes on how each one arrived, from boat strikes to plastic ingestion. It makes the conservation work concrete.
- Permanent exhibition: Models, screens and displays follow the life cycle of marine turtles from egg to adult, and explain the species found around Réunion and their migrations across the Indian Ocean.
- Nursery tanks: Small turtles raised for study and for release sit in shallow tanks, easy to watch and a favorite of children. Their size next to the adults shows
- Outdoor turtle pools: The large basins hold green and hawksbill turtles of different sizes, and you can watch them glide, surface and feed at close range. This is the sight most people come for, and it is best in the morning when the animals are active.
- The care clinic: Large windows let you see injured turtles being treated, with notes on how each one arrived, from boat strikes to plastic ingestion. It makes the conservation work concrete.
- Permanent exhibition: Models, screens and displays follow the life cycle of marine turtles from egg to adult, and explain the species found around Réunion and their migrations across the Indian Ocean.
- Nursery tanks: Small turtles raised for study and for release sit in shallow tanks, easy to watch and a favorite of children. Their size next to the adults shows how few survive to maturity.
- Turtle releases: When a recovered animal is ready, staff organize a release at the shore beside the site. Dates change, so check the schedule on arrival. Seeing a turtle leave the sand and disappear into the surf is the most memorable moment you can catch here.
- Coastal terrace and beach: Outside the building, the black volcanic shoreline and the Indian Ocean breeze give a quiet place to sit between pools. Lava rock, salty air and distant surfers make the setting.
- Saint-Leu lagoon: A short walk away, snorkelers float over reef fish and, with luck, a wild green turtle grazing. The visit makes more sense after seeing the species up close.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.