The Start of a New Turtle Season in the Perhentian Islands with Bubbles Turtle Conservation

When people think about sea turtle conservation, they often imagine the most exciting moments - a turtle slowly making her way up the beach at night, or a group of hatchlings scrambling towards the ocean.

But every turtle season begins much more quietly than that.

On the afternoon of 11th March 2026, the team at Bubbles Turtle Conservation returned to the Perhentian Islands to begin preparing for the 2026 turtle nesting season.

Bubbles Turtle Conservation 2026

Welcoming the New Conservation Interns

Each season brings a new group of interns who are eager to learn what turtle conservation really looks like.

These interns come from all over the world to join the team for 10 weeks to learn hands on turtle conservation field experience, data collection and conducting public awareness sessions.

Like many people who join us for the first time, our new interns quickly realise that conservation work is not just about hands on turtle work and data collection, but it encompasses other background work such as beach clean, trash sorting, administrative work and sales to support the project operation and sustainability.

Turtle Conservation Internship

Turtle Conservation Internship

Getting the Beach Ready Again

During the monsoon months, ocean currents often bring driftwood, fishing gear, and plastic debris onto the shores of the Perhentian Islands.

So one of the first things the team does each season is organise several beach clean-ups to help ensure that nesting turtles have a safer and cleaner beach when they return.

Turtle Hatchery Building

Beach Clean Up

Another important task is rebuilding the turtle hatchery.

This protected area allows the team to relocate nests that may be laid too close to the water or in places where they might be disturbed. Once moved, the eggs can incubate safely until the hatchlings emerge weeks later.

It’s one of the more physically demanding jobs at the start of the season. Plenty of digging, moving sand, and working under the sun, but it’s also one of the most important parts of turtle conservation on the island.

The First Patrols of the Season

Although the first nesting turtle of 2026 has not arrived yet, night patrols have already started.

Each evening, the team walks along the beach, looking for the wide tracks that signal a turtle has come ashore to nest.

That sense of anticipation is part of the rhythm of the turtle nesting season in Malaysia. Every patrol could be the night the first turtle arrives.

Turtle Talks and Experiential Program

During the first few weeks of the internship, our interns go through training on how to conduct turtle talks and workshops for resort guests and participants of the experiential program.

Many of them applied not only because they want to work with turtles, but also because they are interested in sharing conservation stories and raising awareness with the public.

The first few turtle talks of the season have already begun, and the sessions have been going well, even in different languages.

With the team now more confident and prepared, they are ready to welcome the first batch of experiential program participants.

Experiencing Turtle Conservation First-Hand

6 Days 5 Nights Turtle Conservation Experiential Program

For visitors who would like to spend a week being part of the work, the Turtle Conservation Experiential Program offers a chance to experience conservation activities on the ground.

Participants will get to experience:

• Night beach patrols to monitor nesting turtles

• Environmental education workshops

• Hatchery monitoring

• Conservation data recording

• Beach clean-ups to help protect nesting habitats

Rather than focusing only on the highlights, the program shares what sea turtle conservation in the Perhentian Islands really looks like, the preparation, the patience, and the small moments that make the work meaningful.

If you are interested in experiencing turtle conservation for a week, we welcome you to join us at: https://www.bubblesturtleconservation.com/experienceorvolunteer

10 Weeks Turtle Conservation Internship Program

For those looking for a deeper experience, Bubbles Turtle Conservation also offers a 10-week Turtle Conservation Internship on the Perhentian Islands.

Unlike the short experiential program, the internship allows participants to spend a longer period living and working on the island, becoming part of the conservation team throughout the nesting season.

Interns support the day-to-day work of the project while learning how a turtle conservation program operates behind the scenes.

Over the 10 weeks, interns will be involved in activities such as:

• Conducting night beach patrols to monitor nesting turtles

• Assisting with nest protection and hatchery management

• Recording conservation and nesting data

• Helping with turtle talks and educational activities for resort guests

• Supporting beach clean-ups and habitat protection work

The internship is designed for people who are curious about marine conservation and willing to contribute to the daily work that keeps the project running. It is also an opportunity to gain hands-on experience while working closely with the conservation team and volunteers from around the world.

If you are interested to intern with us, submit your application here: https://www.bubblesturtleconservation.com/internship