Environment & Transitions · International · Science

The great journey of green turtles

30 June 2026Photos and text: Gilles Auroux26 images

01 / 26 · 30 June 2026Gilles Auroux / Collectif DR

Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) have been crisscrossing the planet’s oceans for 100 million years, and play an essential role in the health of reefs and seagrass beds. After migrating hundreds or even thousands of kilometers, females return to lay their eggs on the beach where they were born, perpetuating a fragile cycle on which the survival of the species depends.

Yet today, the green turtles’ odyssey faces a world undergoing profound change: degradation of marine habitats, climate disruption, disappearance of breeding areas and growing human pressures. Although their conservation level has improved over the last decade, their status remains worrying.

On the island of Selingan, off Borneo (one of the main protected nesting areas in the region), a conservation program has been put in place. Every night, rangers watch for the arrival of females, protect the nests, collect scientific data and raise visitors’ awareness of the fragility of this emblematic species, in order to give these great travelers a chance.

Story available to the press, on commission or through the photo library.Request a license

The story

26 images