DEKAMER

What DEKAMER does

DEKAMER (Deniz Kaplumbağaları Araştırma, Kurtarma ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi / Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center) is a Turkish non-profit founded in 2009, operating from İztuzu Beach in Dalyan, Ortaca, Muğla, under the parent association Pamukkale Bilim Merkezi Derneği (PSCA). Its core work is the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured sea turtles (primarily Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas), nesting beach monitoring and protection along Turkish Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, and satellite tracking of released turtles via transmitters whose data is shared with seaturtle.org. It operates a distributed injury-reporting network of 25+ contact points across Turkish coastal provinces and runs nest temperature monitoring using data loggers for hatchling sex-ratio analysis.

DEKAMER's revenue model is multi-stream non-profit: individual donations (tiers from 500 TL for general support to 5,000 TL for one month of medical supplies), volunteer program fees of €200/month (€100 for 2-week stays) covering accommodation and food, and project-based grants from international foundations and government bodies including the MAVA Foundation, TUI Care Foundation, USFWS (Marine Turtle Conservation Act), the European Union (notably the LIFE-MEDTURTLES Project, 2019–2024), and the Turkish Ministries of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and Agriculture and Forestry. Approximately 50,000 visitors come to the center annually.

Its technology stack is conventional conservation tooling — GPS/satellite transmitters, temperature data loggers, a public-facing website and satellite-tracking maps, social media channels, and IBAN-based donations in TL/USD/EUR — rather than a proprietary platform. It serves conservation and scientific stakeholders (national and international research collaborators), Turkish government ministries, individual donors, international and national volunteers, and tourism industry partners. Board Chairman is Prof. Dr. Yakup Kaska.

Name

DEKAMER

Legal name

Deniz Kaplumbağaları Araştırma, Kurtarma ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi (DEKAMER)

Website

https://dekamer.org.tr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DEKAMER is a Turkish non-profit sea turtle research, rescue, and rehabilitation center founded in 2009 at İztuzu Beach (Dalyan, Muğla), operating nesting beach monitoring, satellite tracking, and volunteer programs funded by international foundations, the EU, Turkish government ministries, and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Wildlife Conservation Services

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAAIAI

Sea Turtle Nesting & Hatchling Tours (regulated night walks)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Marine & Coastal Ecotourism (Diving, Snorkeling, Whale Watching)

Keywords

• Sea turtle conservation
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Nesting beach protection
• Satellite tracking research
• Marine conservation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dalyan, Ortaca

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations from Individual Supporters: DEKAMER accepts donations from individuals for turtle treatment, feeding costs, and general conservation activities. Donation amounts range from 500TL to 5000TL for specific purposes, with IBAN numbers provided for TL, USD, and Euro transfers.
2. Project Funding from Organizations: DEKAMER receives project-based funding from various organizations including MAVA Foundation, TUI Care Foundation, European Union, USFWS, and Turkish government ministries for specific conservation and research projects.
3. Volunteer Program Fees: Volunteers contribute 200€ per month (or 100€ for 2-week applications) which covers accommodation and food costs at the center.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DEKAMER is a non-profit sea turtle research, rescue, and rehabilitation center operating at İztuzu Beach in Dalyan, Muğla, Turkey. It treats and rehabilitates injured sea turtles for release, monitors and protects nesting beaches along the Turkish coast, operates satellite tracking studies of released turtles, and runs volunteer and donation programs to fund its conservation work.

Product overview

DEKAMER (Deniz Kaplumbağaları Araştırma, Kurtarma ve Rehabilitasyon Merkezi) is a Sea Turtle Research, Rescue and Rehabilitation Center operating as a single-purpose conservation organization, not a commercial product company. The organization provides sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation services, nesting beach monitoring and protection, satellite tracking research studies, volunteer programs for conservation work, and accepts donations to support turtle conservation efforts. There is no commercial product portfolio or platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Services Treatment and rehabilitation of injured sea turtles with the goal of releasing them back to their natural habitats. Operated at DEKAMER's center at İztuzu Beach, serving injured and sick sea turtles reported through a network of 25+ contact points across Turkish coastal regions.
• Nesting Beach Monitoring and Protection Monitoring and protecting sea turtle nesting beaches along Turkish coastlines during breeding season, including protecting nesting beaches from vehicles, light pollution, and human disturbance. Covers 25+ beaches along the Turkish Mediterranean and Aegean coasts.
• Satellite Tracking Studies Satellite transmitters are attached to rehabilitated sea turtles to monitor migration routes, feeding grounds, and wintering areas. Tracking data is shared with international tracking databases (seaturtle.org) and made available through online maps for public viewing.
• Volunteer Programs Structured volunteer program inviting individuals over 18 years old who are physically fit to participate in sea turtle conservation, rescue, rehabilitation, and field research activities at the DEKAMER center. Volunteers pay 200€ per month (or 100€ for 2-week applications) covering accommodation and food.
• Donation and Support Program Fundraising program accepting donations from individuals to support turtle treatment, feeding costs, and conservation projects. Donations are accepted via IBAN-based bank transfers in TL, USD, and Euro currencies, with specific donation tiers (400TL for one day of feeding, 2000TL for one week of feeding, 5000TL for one month of medical supplies and treatment). Donation certificates are issued for transparency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 50,000 annual visitors to the center
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lara Barut HotelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Lara Barut Hotel supported the satellite tracking of turtle named Lara, found injured at Göynük coast in Antalya.
• TUI Care FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018TUI Care Foundation supports the 'Kaplumbağalar ve Turizm Birlikte Olabilir' (Turtles and Tourism can be Together) project, aiming to increase awareness about sea turtle conservation in tourism areas along Turkey's South Aegean coasts. They also fund satellite tracking devices for rehabilitated turtles.
• WWF-TürkiyeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018WWF-Türkiye coordinates injured turtle reporting in regions like Adana-Akyatan and Kaş.
• EKADminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018EKAD (possibly Ekolojik Araştırma Derneği) coordinates injured turtle reporting in Yumurtalık and Antalya-Belek regions.
• OSBminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018OSB (Specially Protected Area directorates) coordinates turtle reporting across multiple coastal regions including Manavgat, Kemer, Fethiye, and Marmaris.
• MAVA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017MAVA Foundation supports the Conservation of Marine Turtles in the Mediterranean Region Project, enabling DEKAMER to conduct joint studies with partners from France, Northern Cyprus, Tunisia, and Greece. The project focuses on protecting nesting beaches, monitoring climate change effects, and determining migration routes and wintering areas of sea turtles.
• USFWS - Marine Turtle Conservation ActcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017USFWS has supported multiple projects including 'Developing A Conservation Project To Address Sea Turtle Bycatch Mortality In Mediterranean Coast Of Turkey' (2017-2019) and 'Sea Turtle Conservation Project in Turkey Mediterranean Coasts' (2019-2021).
• European UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017EU supports multiple projects including effects of plastic pollution on marine turtles (2017-2019, 2019-2021) and the LIFE-MEDTURTLES Project (2019-2024) focusing on marine turtle conservation.
• Baku-Tbilisi-Ceylan Pipeline Company (BTC Co)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011BTC Co supported sea turtle monitoring projects in Dalaman-Sarıgerme sea turtle nesting beach from 2011-2015.
• Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and ForestrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010The Ministry funded the Marine Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Project that established DEKAMER's infrastructure.
• Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment and UrbanizationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008The Ministry supports sea turtle monitoring and conservation projects in specially protected areas including Köyceğiz-Dalyan SPA and Fethiye-Göcek SPA. They also fund satellite tracking projects for sea turtles in Specially Protected Areas.
• Pamukkale Science Center Association (PSCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008PSCA is the parent organization of DEKAMER, registered as a private NGO in Denizli, Turkey. The association's board of directors oversees DEKAMER's operations and provides funding through donations and projects. PSCA has been supporting Pamukkale University researchers and coordinating sea turtle conservation projects since 2008.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SEE Turtles: U.S.-based conservation organization that connects travelers with sea turtle conservation experiences and supports nesting beach protection projects worldwide. Comparable to DEKAMER in nesting beach focus and use of public engagement to fund conservation, though operates via ecotourism partnerships rather than direct rehabilitation.
• North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher - Sea Turtle Hospital: Sea turtle rehabilitation hospital operating within a public aquarium, treating injured and cold-stunned turtles before release. Comparable to DEKAMER in providing rehabilitation services, public education through a physical visitor center, and integration of rescue work with broader conservation messaging.
• ARCHELON - Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece: Greece's primary sea turtle protection society, operating nesting beach protection, rescue, and rehabilitation programs for loggerhead and green turtles across Greek beaches. Directly comparable to DEKAMER in mission, Mediterranean geographic focus, species focus, and volunteer-driven operational model.
• Sea Turtle, Inc. Texas-based sea turtle rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation center on South Padre Island. Directly comparable to DEKAMER in operating a physical rehabilitation hospital, public education programs, and satellite-tracking-enabled release of recovered turtles.
• Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Florida-based sea turtle research, rehabilitation, and education center operating a hospital, nesting beach monitoring, and public engagement programs. Closely comparable to DEKAMER in combining rehabilitation services, nesting monitoring, and visitor/volunteer engagement at a single physical center.
• TAMAR (Projeto TAMAR / Brazilian Sea Turtle Conservation Program): Brazil's flagship sea turtle conservation program combining research, nesting protection, community engagement, and ecotourism across the Brazilian coast. Comparable to DEKAMER in integrating research, nesting beach protection, satellite tracking, and visitor-based funding/awareness, though at a much larger national scale.

Broad incumbents

• Sea Turtle Conservancy: The world's oldest sea turtle research and conservation organization (founded 1959), operating globally with a focus on nesting beach protection, satellite tracking, and policy advocacy. Comparable to DEKAMER in its integration of research, education, and on-the-ground conservation, but operates at a much larger scale and across multiple regions.
• WIDECAST (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network): Regional network coordinating sea turtle conservation across more than 40 Caribbean nations and territories. Comparable to DEKAMER in its regional conservation mandate, scientific data collection, and partner coordination model, but broader in geography and more policy-oriented in delivery.
• Turtle Survival Alliance: Global coalition focused on preventing turtle and tortoise extinctions through captive management, field conservation, and capacity building. Comparable in species focus and conservation mission but broader in geographic and taxonomic scope, and operates as a coordinating network rather than a single-site center.

Regional players

• WWF-Türkiye: Turkey branch of the global WWF network, coordinating biodiversity and marine conservation projects including sea turtle monitoring in regions like Adana-Akyatan. Comparable to DEKAMER in operating in Turkish coastal regions and coordinating sea turtle work, but operates as a large international NGO rather than a focused single-site research center.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dekamer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DEKAMER