Sal Island: Sea Turtle Experience from Santa Maria

Join the Sal Sea Turtle Tour in Cape Verde for an engaging wildlife and nature experience. Learn about sea turtles from expert guides and support conservation efforts by choosing a sustainable company.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Santa Maria - Don’t miss this incredible experience. Watching sea turtles is a unique experience for nature and wildlife lovers while visiting Cape Verde. Join a unique experience with the best atmosphere and respecting the guidelines of the Biodiversity Project biologists.

Transfer from your hotel at 8:30 pm and arrive at one of the island’s beautiful beaches in less than thirty minutes. Be welcomed by your professional guides with extensive experience, and volunteers in the turtle protection and preservation project, who will ensure an ecological and environmentally conscious experience for turtles and visitors.
Cape Verde is home to populations of 3 species of turtles. The Caretta caretta turtle (common turtle) is the most common species in Cape Verde. Cape Verde’s sandy beaches are one of the most important nesting sites for loggerhead turtles.

Enjoy the knowledge of an expert guide and an ecological tour that respects turtles and their habitat. By choosing Sal Experience, a local sustainable company, you will support our beach cleaning program and sea turtle preservation and protection efforts.

What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Infrared lighting
  • Liability insurance
  • Expert guide
  • Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off service included
Additional Information

Join an exclusive experience for small groups to live a unique moment with the best atmosphere and respecting the guidelines of the Biodiversity Project biologists. Professional guides with knowledge and extensive experience, and volunteers in the turtle protection and preservation project. Enjoy the knowledge of a guide specialized in nature tours who will tell you everything about their evolution, characteristics, the historical relationship with turtles and interesting facts about turtles.

The guides will ensure an ecological and environmentally conscious experience for the turtles and visitors. Sea turtle watching is a unique experience for all nature and wildlife lovers while visiting Cape Verde. By choosing Sal Experience, a local sustainable company, you will support our beach cleaning program and sea turtle preservation and protection efforts.

  • Small group ecological tours.
  • Expert guides who will offer you a unique and environmentally conscious experience for turtles and visitors alike.
  • Wear dark-colored clothing and comfortable shoes for walking.
  • We have our own lights that will allow you to take photos and videos. Please note that flash and white lights are not permitted for the well-being of the turtles.
  • Not recommended for children under 3 years old
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(106 Ratings)
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504mitchelln
Jul 14, 2024
Super experience, you don't want to miss this - We enjoyed, had super sweet and smart guide Lisa, explained everything well and had super much knowledge. Definitely recommended!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Darren_s
Jul 13, 2024
Fantastic night - An experience never to be forgotten guides are very knowledgeable and want you to see turtles which we did . We watched as turtle birthed many eggs covered them all over and made her way back to the sea , all in our party were in awe.
Review provided by Viator
Indy_v
Jul 4, 2024
The most amazing experience - I loved this experience so much, it was very touching to see the process of the turtles nesting and to see the mother turtle make sure the eggs are safe. The first time I went, there were sadly no turtles (also due to some factors) and I was allowed to do it again the next evening which was the sweetest thing. The guides are awesome and make sure the turtle is safe and they are very knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend booking this with Sal Experience since it is just great and they are the sweetest people.
Review provided by Viator
Rubyrae2017
Mar 16, 2024
Amazing! - This was a fabulous family holiday. We booked with Tui which was a package holiday. Our hotel RUI Cabo Verde was lovely with a welcoming foyer. There was a coffee shop & snacks shop which was great. This is rated as a 5 star hotel. The pool areas were good and we always got a deck chair. There were the usual daily activities. Lovely walk through the hotel to the beach. The downside was being stopped by locals trying to sell their tours, which to be honest sounded good. We didn’t go with the guys on the beach but we did go to with a local guy and paid way less compared with the prices Tui were charging. The entertainment was ok the ‘white Party’ was had great. The rooms were ok but in need of revamp. We had 2 rooms and had to be moved as our rooms were infested with ants…Yikes! Tip, don’t get a room on the ground floor! Good to join the Facebook group for the hotel, lots of good advice given. One thing we hated were the flies in the main restaurant it was awful the hotel really need to get a grip of this. That be said we would visit again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrea_p
Oct 16, 2023
our guide Nanni and his... - our guide Nanni and his coleagues were fantastic, they worked very hard for us to find turtles. We did not see the turtles nesting but did witness seventeen turtles hatching.
Review provided by Viator
L5810yntimb
Oct 14, 2023
Once in a lifetime - Picked up from hotel and driven to a nearby beach. It was very surreal, lights out on the vehicles, guides and turtle patrol all had red lamps and very quiet whilst our guide explained about the turtles and their lives. Then we were suddenly bundled into the transport and driven 500-600 metres to see a turtle lay her eggs, Very very humbling watching this huge turtle flip sand over the nest and us, before skirting back into the sea. Yes there were other groups there and it was a bit chaotic with people trying to take pictures but the guides were very calm and rotated groups of people through so we all got to see what was happening. A great night and something I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting the islands.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
811zoel
Oct 14, 2023
Great turtle experience - Amazing guides! Really knowledgeable and a great excursion! Knew exactly where to look and the tour also wasn’t over crowded which was great for the turtles!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ute
Oct 12, 2023
An extraordinary experience - Very friendly guides, punctual and well organized. The trip was a very special experience. We were in a small group on a remote beach. We were given competent information. The organizers tried not to disturb the turtles as much as possible. We saw a turtle laying eggs and a nest that was just hatching. The only negative thing was the large group of tourists that suddenly arrived like a swarm of locusts. So if anyone wants to see the turtles, they should definitely go in a small group.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Coastal11385598310
Oct 13, 2023
Great guide - Amazing guide, very well informed, very professional, and always taking care of everybody in the group. Also, i really appreciated his calm. There were a lot of other groups on the beach looking for the turtles and some of those guides were very agressive and stupid and our guide never lost the calm. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O7585jpauroreb
Oct 15, 2023
Discovery of turtles - Activity reserved because it advocates animal respect, which was absolutely not the case. Quite the contrary! Disorganized guides, no communication or explanation. The little information given was erroneous or contradictory. The safety of the participants was also not assured. The only positive point concerns communication with the company. Very responsive, our comments were taken into account immediately.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
2 Adult
September 2024
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