Projeto Biodiversidade is a turtle conservation project in Santa Maria. During the season, daily nest excavations take place at 4:30 pm. Free, honest and deeply impactful. This is not a show, but a real lesson in nature and human responsibility.
When a beach day suddenly pauses
Everything feels fairly normal until someone mentions the time: four thirty. From that moment on, people leave their towels, shake off the sand and walk towards a specific spot on the beach. No music, no umbrellas, no beach bar. Just a group of people gathered around a nest in the sand.
This is how the experience at Projeto Biodiversidade begins. You’re not here to look at the sea. You’re here to understand what’s happening beneath the sand.
Live conservation, no staging
Projeto Biodiversidade is a research and conservation foundation focused mainly on protecting the loggerhead turtle. Their work involves locating nests, protecting them, relocating them when necessary, and guiding hatchlings through their first moments of life.
This is not a zoo, not a show, and not a classic tourist activity. It’s an active project, run by international volunteers and local staff, operating in real time with a very clear goal: getting more turtles safely to the sea.
Real excavations and necessary explanations
During the hatching season (roughly from August to October), every day at 4:30 pm, the team carries out excavations of nests that have already hatched.
Before anything starts, there’s a short talk explaining what they do, why it matters, and how litter, artificial lighting and human pressure affect turtles.
If you’re lucky — and you won’t always be — live hatchlings may appear, having failed to reach the surface on their own. They are recorded, briefly shown, and then taken to the sea. The whole process takes about 30 minutes.
Calm, educational and deeply human
The atmosphere is respectful and focused. Families, curious visitors, volunteers and passers-by all stand together. No rushing, no shouting. Questions are answered patiently and without oversimplifying the reality.
It’s common to leave feeling both inspired and slightly uncomfortable after hearing facts about beach pollution, predators and human impact.
This isn’t a “nice” experience. It’s a necessary one.
Misplaced expectations
If you arrive expecting to see baby turtles no matter what, you may be disappointed. They don’t hatch every day, and the team is very clear about that.
It’s also not particularly comfortable: you’ll be standing on sand, often with quite a crowd. Access from the beach can be tricky for people with reduced mobility, although access from behind some nearby hotels is easier.
Getting the most out of it
– Arrive 10–15 minutes early.
– Don’t bring fixed expectations — nature decides here.
– Listen to the talk; it completely changes the experience.
– Entry is free; adopting a turtle is optional.
– Works very well with children, even though the message is direct.
You don’t leave the same way you arrived
Projeto Biodiversidade doesn’t try to impress you. It does so effortlessly. You leave with sand on your feet, information in your head, and an uncomfortable but necessary feeling — a mix of hope and responsibility.
It’s not the most entertaining thing you’ll do in Sal. It’s probably the most important.
They don’t save the planet here. They buy time. And that already matters.
