“Go! Go! Go!” screamed a bunch of kids and teens at four green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) as the protected animals were released by Bali Water Police officers back into the sea Sunday afternoon at Kuta. “Yes, kids! Help me encourage these big turtles to swim away!” said one of the officers, while his friends carried two huge turtles. One has a carapace length of 1 meter and the other 1.5 meters.

The sea turtles were seized Saturday afternoon during a raid at a house belonging to a suspected turtle trader in South Kuta. During the raid the police arrested the alleged trader I Kadek Suastika, as well as Hendrianto, the skipper of a boat transporting the protected species. The police moved on after receiving a tip from Tanjung Benoa residents about possible smuggling activities.

The water police immediately sent a patrol boat to monitor the waters around Kedonganan and Tanjung Benoa. The officers identified one suspicious boat and tailed it closely. “The suspicious boat moved to Nusa Dua waters. As we could not reach Nusa Dua waters due to big waves, we waited for the suspects to drop off the rare wildlife onto land,” said chief of operations at the Bali Water Police, Comr. I Putu S. Dinata. “We captured them at Kadek Suastika’s house.”

Dinata added his team had found six green turtles, but only four were released into the sea Sunday because the other two would be kept as evidence for the suspects’ trial.

Bali Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sugianyar said the suspects might face a maximum of five years imprisonment as they have allegedly violated Government Regulation No. 21/1999 concerning the conservation of natural resources. “The turtles were poached in the waters off Java and will be sold here.”

“The small ones command a price around Rp 1.5 million *US$145.70* while the big ones are worth up to Rp 5 million.

The Balinese usually buy turtles for consumption. “We intentionally release the turtles in the crowded Kuta beach, because we also want to give a public education that green turtle is facing extinction. “Especially for Bali residents, who we are hope will reduce their consumption of turtles.”

During the release, some foreign tourists took photos and also encouraged the newly free turtles to swim back into the ocean.

News written by Niken Prathivi, published on The Jakarta Post.