The Morukuru Goodwill Foundation has renewed and expanded its support for the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Centre through a three-year funding initiative. The funding will cover the rescue, rehabilitation and release of endangered sea turtles into the De Hoop Marine Protected Area.
The commitment includes full adoption and care of three turtles currently under rehabilitation: Nori, Kai and Habanero. Once recovered, the turtles will be released into the protected waters of De Hoop Nature Reserve, which is home to Morukuru Family De Hoop.
“Our relationship with the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation is built on shared purpose: conservation, education and a passion and respect for the natural world,” said Anka Zeeman, Co-Founder of the Morukuru Goodwill Foundation. “We’re proud to continue this work together and help return these remarkable turtles to the ocean.”
Among the turtles is Habanero, a mature male loggerhead rescued near Witsand in February 2025. Diagnosed with septic arthritis, he underwent surgery as part of his rehabilitation. Nori, a green turtle adopted by the foundation in 2024, is almost ready for release while Kai, a five-year-old loggerhead, has overcome significant health challenges since being rescued as a hatchling in 2020.
With Morukuru’s support, the Turtle Conservation Centre will also expand its rehabilitation capacity and satellite tagging of turtles before release, contributing to global tracking and conservation data.
“Morukuru has shown commitment to turtle conservation for several years. Initially supporting turtle rescue along the De Hoop coastline, Morukuru’s support has expanded to include rehabilitation and release. We are grateful for Morukuru’s long-term commitment to turtle conservation,” said Talitha Noble-Trull, Turtle Conservation Centre Manager for the Two Oceans Aquarium.
