What SEE Turtles does

SEE Turtles is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, that funds and operates sea turtle conservation programs across more than 20 countries. The organization's work centers on protecting sea turtle nesting beaches, combating the illegal turtleshell trade, removing plastic from turtle habitats, and channeling tourism revenue and donor dollars toward local coastal conservation partners. Since inception, it claims to have helped save over 20 million hatchlings at 60+ nesting beaches and to have generated more than $1.7 million for conservation and coastal communities through its programs.

The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including Billion Baby Turtles (a hatchling-protection grants program launched in 2013), the Too Rare To Wear campaign (anti-turtleshell-trade initiative), Sea Turtles & Plastic (habitat cleanup and recycling), Sea Turtle Week (an annual awareness campaign reaching 8+ million viewers), and the Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund (scholarships for Global South students). Its most technically distinctive product is the SEE Shell App, a mobile application that uses AI/computer vision to identify tortoiseshell products in user-submitted photos and records geolocation data to support enforcement against the illegal wildlife trade. The organization also manages the Travelers Against Plastic campaign to reduce single-use plastic in the travel industry.

SEE Turtles generates revenue through five primary streams: conservation tour fees (priced $1,995–$9,495 per person across destinations in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Ecuador, Cuba, Kenya, and the Galapagos), individual donations (including cryptocurrency, bequests, and stock), corporate sponsorships across Gold/Silver/Basic tiers with sponsors including Nature's Path, LunchBots, Pinwheel, BeCause Tees, and Hawksbill Rum, school programs and fundraising contests (3,800+ students at 35+ schools have raised nearly $50,000), and merchandise sales through an online store. Its primary customer segments are individual conservation travelers, K-12 schools, eco-conscious corporate sponsors, individual donors, and coastal community conservation organizations in 25 countries. The organization operates from a home office with a small leadership team — President Brad Nahill (co-founder) and Communications Manager Sabrina Mashburn — following the death of co-founder Dr. Wallace J. Nichols in June 2024.

Name

SEE Turtles

Legal name

SEE Turtles

Website

https://seeturtles.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SEE Turtles is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds sea turtle conservation across 25+ countries through conservation tours, donor contributions, corporate sponsorships, and programs combating turtleshell trade, plastic pollution, and habitat loss.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Conservation Tour Fees: Revenue from turtle conservation trips and volunteer tours. Prices range from approximately $1,995 to $9,495 per person depending on destination and duration. Profits directly support conservation work and coastal communities.
2. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations, cryptocurrency donations, bequests, and stock donations from supporters. Donors can contribute to specific programs like Billion Baby Turtles or general conservation efforts.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Business sponsors (Gold, Silver, Basic tiers) that donate and in return receive recognition and association with the SEE Turtles brand. Sponsors include companies like Nature's Path, LunchBots, Pinwheel, BeCause Tees, and many others.
4. School Programs and Fundraising: Revenue from student field trips through EcoTeach program and school fundraising contests. Students raise money for turtle conservation while learning about sea turtles.
5. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling turtle-themed merchandise. Proceeds support conservation programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SEE Turtles is a nonprofit organization that organizes paid sea turtle conservation tours (priced $1,995–$9,495 per person) connecting travelers with local researchers and community partners at nesting beaches worldwide. Profits and donations fund a portfolio of conservation programs — Billion Baby Turtles grants to nesting-beach patrols, Too Rare To Wear (campaign + SEE Shell App) to combat turtleshell trade, Sea Turtles & Plastic for beach cleanups and recycling, the Sea Turtle School Program, and the Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund scholarship program.

Product overview

SEE Turtles is a nonprofit organization operating conservation programs focused on sea turtle protection through multiple interconnected offerings. The core portfolio includes Turtle Conservation Tours (conservation travel experiences generating over $1.7 million for conservation efforts), the Billion Baby Turtles program (grants supporting 60+ nesting beaches worldwide), the Too Rare To Wear campaign (anti-turtleshell trade initiative with the AI-powered SEE Shell App), and the Sea Turtles & Plastic program (plastic cleanup initiative). Supporting offerings include the Sea Turtle School Program (free educational resources and field trips), Sea Turtle Week (annual celebration), the Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund (scholarships for Global South students), and Baby Turtle Adoptions (symbolic adoption program).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Billion Baby Turtles: A program that raises funds to save hatchlings at important turtle nesting beaches around the world. Since 2013, the program has helped save more than 20 million hatchlings at 60+ nesting beaches.
• Too Rare To Wear
• Sea Turtles & Plastic
• Sea Turtle Week
• Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund
• SEE Shell App
• Travelers Against Plastic

Products and services

• Turtle Conservation Tours Multi-day paid conservation trips in destinations such as Kenya, Oaxaca, Colola, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, and the Galapagos that allow travelers to work alongside researchers protecting nesting sea turtles; trip fees ($1,995–$9,495 per person) fund SEE Turtles' conservation work.
• Billion Baby Turtles Grant-making program that directs donor and corporate contributions to local partners to protect sea turtle hatchlings at nesting beaches worldwide; over $1.5 million given in more than 200 grants to 50+ organizations in 25 countries since 2013.
• SEE Shell App Mobile application that uses AI/computer vision to identify tortoiseshell products from photos; helps travelers and enforcement officials recognize and report illegal turtleshell items.
• Too Rare To Wear Campaign that works to end demand for illegal turtleshell products by collaborating with tour operators, publishing research, and providing traveler-education tools; credited with an 80% reduction in turtleshell trade in Cartagena, Colombia.
• Sea Turtles & Plastic Program that funds local recycling programs benefiting coastal communities and beach cleanup operations to remove plastic from sea turtle habitats in 30+ projects across 15 countries.
• Sea Turtle School Program (EcoTeach) Educational program providing free lesson plans, field trips to turtle conservation projects, online presentations, and opportunities for students to raise funds for sea turtle conservation; 3,800+ students at 35+ schools have raised nearly $50,000.
• Sea Turtle Week Annual celebration held every June from World Oceans Day to World Sea Turtle Day; features daily species- and threat-focused content via seaturtleweek.com, generating more than 8 million annual viewers and 1,700+ social media posts.
• Sea Turtle Inclusivity Fund Scholarship program providing grants for diverse students from the Global South to work with sea turtle field research projects; $35,000+ provided through 14 scholarships to date.
• Baby Turtle Adoptions Symbolic adoption program allowing supporters to fund hatchling protection at nesting beaches worldwide through unit-based giving (approximately $1 helps save 10 hatchlings).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1.7 million generated for conservation and coastal communities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Fundacion Tortugas del MarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration in Colombia to end turtleshell trade. Since 2017, SEE Turtles has provided funding, resources, and technical support. Partnership helped reduce turtleshell trade by 80% in Cartagena and expanded to other communities including Tolu, Coveñas, and Santa Marta.
• Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to conserve critically endangered hawksbill turtles in the Eastern Pacific. SEE Turtles has provided more than $150,000 for this population, helping save more than 300,000 hatchlings of one of the world's most endangered sea turtle populations.
• Travelers Against PlasticcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEE Turtles was the first Gold Sponsor and now manages this campaign to reduce plastic use in the travel industry.
• Environment Society of OmancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleaned approximately 90 tons of derelict fishing gear (ghost gear) from Masirah Island beaches, one of the world's most important loggerhead turtle nesting beaches.
• ProCostacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEl Salvador organization leading hawksbill research and recovery efforts in Jiquilisco Bay. SEE Turtles has provided $45,000 helping save approximately 91,000 baby hawksbill sea turtles.
• Nature's Path / EnviroKidzcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFounding supporter of Billion Baby Turtles and school programs. Family-owned organic company supporting conservation through product sales.
• LunchBotssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSustainable food container company that donates portion of turtle product sales to SEE Turtles conservation programs.
• PinwheelsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSustainability investments platform; Gold sponsor supporting SEE Turtles programs.
• BeCause TeessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily-owned business whose turtle shirts support SEE Turtles' efforts to clean plastic from turtle habitats.
• Hawksbill RumsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerUK-based rum brand donating to turtle conservation with goal to save 100,000 turtles.
• COPROT - Tortugas de OsacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-focused turtle conservation project in Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. Beaches host over 6,000 nests per year of olive ridley and green sea turtles. Year-round volunteer opportunities.
• Turtle FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea turtle protection programs in Cabo Verde (Boa Vista Island) and Indonesia. Volunteers work in field stations protecting loggerhead turtles.
• Ocean SpiritssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNesting leatherback turtle conservation in Grenada. Minimum 2-week volunteer commitment required.
• Campamento Tortuguero Ayotlcalli A.C.supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea turtle protection at Playa Blanca, Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Volunteers patrol beach, relocate eggs to hatchery, monitor and release hatchlings.
• Mariners for ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan organization through Marereni Biodiversity Conservancy. Protected nesting beaches and oversaw safe hatching of more than 15,000 hatchlings. Collected 100+ tons of plastic waste.
• Our World Our SeasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhana organization collecting plastic waste from critical sea turtle nesting beaches in western region. Led beach cleanups in 12 communities.
• Dots.EcosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental incentives platform that supported beach cleanups during Sea Turtle Week in 7 countries, collecting 49,240 lbs of plastic with 667 volunteers.
• Guanacaste Dry Forest FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Luis Fonseca's research at Playa Nancite, Costa Rica - second most important olive ridley nesting site. $5,000 grant to help around 500,000 baby turtles.
• Everlasting NaturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHawksbill turtle protection on Kimar Island, Indonesia. Hires local 'eggs guardians' to protect approximately 700 nests per season. $5,000 grant for 60,000 baby turtles.
• SOS NicaraguasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea turtle protection at Los Brasiles, Nicaragua. Works with local community including former turtle egg harvesters. $2,000 grant supporting since 2017.
• Palmarito ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNesting beach protection in Oaxaca, Mexico for leatherback, black/green and olive ridley turtles. $5,000 grant helping save 6,000 baby turtles.
• Kaanan ACsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHawksbill turtle nesting protection in Campeche, Mexico since 1977. Community-based project with $2,000 emergency fund grant.
• Turtle LovecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea turtle conservation in Parismina, Costa Rica. Provides supervised professional internships for local youth including Emma Bello scholarship recipient.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EcoTeach: Operates student field trips focused on conservation and wildlife research, including marine programs. SEE Turtles' EcoTeach student trips directly compete with EcoTeach for school field trip bookings.
• Earthwatch Institute: Global nonprofit running paid volunteer expeditions ($1,000–$5,000+ pp) to support scientific research, including marine and wildlife fieldwork. Closely comparable in business model: conservation travel experiences, individual donors, and research-partner network.
• Global Vision International (GVI): Runs paid conservation volunteer programs globally, including marine and sea turtle projects in Latin America and Asia. Directly comparable in volunteer-travel model, destination footprint, and program pricing.
• Oceanic Society: U.S.-based nonprofit operating whale watching eco-expeditions and marine conservation travel worldwide, with citizen-science components. Directly comparable as a marine ecotourism and citizen-science operator overlapping SEE Turtles' customer base.
• Sea Turtle Conservancy: Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated exclusively to sea turtle research and conservation, with volunteer eco-tours, tagging programs, and a Tortuguero nesting beach project. Most directly comparable to SEE Turtles in mission, target species, and ecotourism-plus-grant model.

Broad incumbents

• The Ocean Conservancy: U.S.-based ocean conservation nonprofit running the International Coastal Cleanup and major policy campaigns. Comparable in marine-pollution focus and large-coalition model, especially to SEE Turtles' Sea Turtles & Plastic program.
• Conservation International: Global nonprofit operating corporate-sponsored conservation programs and biodiversity grants. Comparable corporate-sponsorship and biodiversity-impact reporting model, though at much larger scale.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): One of the largest global conservation organizations, running marine turtle programs, corporate partnerships, and individual donor campaigns. Overlaps with SEE Turtles' Too Rare To Wear anti-wildlife-trade coalition and school outreach.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Large international conservation NGO operating zoos, aquariums, and field programs (including marine turtle work) globally. Overlaps with SEE Turtles' Sabrina Mashburn background and broader mission but at much larger scale and broader scope.

Others

• International Sea Turtle Society: Professional scientific society (formerly chaired by SEE Turtles' founder) supporting sea turtle researchers worldwide. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor; relevant as a network and credibility connector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SEEturtles
• Facebookfacebook.com/SEEturtles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seeturtles-org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 SEE Turtles