In February 2025, Yayasan Penyu Indonesia once again held its second Training of Trainers (ToT) program in Simeulue, Aceh, for a full two weeks. Simeulue is an important nesting habitat for the leatherback sea turtle, the largest sea turtle species in the world. The chance to witness and take part in the protection of leatherbacks was an extraordinary experience, especially for some participants who had never seen the species in person before.
ToT II also fostered a collaborative learning dynamic. New participants received introductory presentations and were assisted in practice by previous ToT participants, reinforcing Yayasan Penyu Indonesia’s commitment to building a sustainable chain of knowledge. Every participant in the ToT not only learned, but also carried the responsibility of becoming an agent of knowledge transfer to continually strengthen sea turtle conservation efforts.
Beyond presentations, participants had opportunities for discussions to exchange knowledge and experiences, took part in patrols and sea turtle monitoring, and were also given the chance to tag leatherback sea turtles. These activities were carried out under the guidance and supervision of Meriussoni Zai (Director of Science at Yayasan Penyu Indonesia) and Adhith Swaminathan (Scientific Advisor at Yayasan Penyu Indonesia).
Before tagging the sea turtles directly, participants first conducted simulations to ensure that the tagging techniques complied with SOPs. Tagging is one of the most important instruments in sea turtle conservation. The purpose of tagging is to study sea turtle populations, identify individuals, and collect baseline data to build protection strategies. Yayasan Penyu Indonesia uses three types of tags for sea turtles: PIT tags, metal tags, and satellite transmitters.
A PIT tag, or Passive Integrated Transponder, is a microchip in the form of a cylindrical capsule that is injected into an adult sea turtle’s body, with identification carried out using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. A metal tag is a small metal plate with a code that is clipped onto the flipper of an adult sea turtle using an applicator; identification is done visually by reading the code and checking the data manually. Yayasan Penyu Indonesia uses the 681 inconel metal tag type, which is registered in the Sea Turtle Tag Inventory managed by The Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research (ACCSTR).
A satellite transmitter is a device attached to a sea turtle’s body so that its migration routes can be tracked. In this second ToT, the attachment of satellite transmitters to two leatherback sea turtles became one of the most anticipated activities for most participants. They were each given roles and responsibilities during the installation process. The two sea turtles fitted with satellite transmitters during ToT II were named Putri Salang Simodede and Putri Daubatu by the local community and government in Salang District (Simeulue, Aceh).
The entire series of activities in this second ToT program ran smoothly. One more Training of Trainers will still be held by Yayasan Penyu Indonesia to complete the participants’ skill sets in the field of sea turtle conservation. This program is funded by the UK Government through the Darwin Initiative grant, aimed at strengthening the capacity and capability of Yayasan Penyu Indonesia in protecting sea turtles and their habitats in Indonesia.
