Coastal villages in Ghana are working with wildlife officials and American researchers on a new ecotourism project—turtle tourism. Aimed at both conservation and job creation, this new venture offers tourists nighttime walks on the beach in search of sea turtles for about $5. If tourists are lucky, they will see the usually elusive sea turtles crawl from the ocean to lay their eggs and hide them under the sand.

There are seven species of sea turtles and all are considered either endangered or threatened. Poaching for their meat, shell and skin has threatened sea turtle populations, along with creating pollution, environmental erosion, and industrial development. Ghana Wildlife Division’s regional manager Dickson Agyeman began public education programs and guided beach walks about ten years ago. He has more recently joined forces with Phil Allman, a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University and former Fulbright Scholar who established a research and conservation program with the University of Ghana. Allman also started HATCH, an NGO that raises money to educate the public about sea turtle endangerment and to raise money for their preservation.

Tourists visiting Ghana arrange the beach walks with Agyeman, while Allman and others survey the beaches looking for locations of sea turtles. Says Allman, “The goal is to show the local communities here that there’s an economic benefit to having turtles on the beach…[Villagers] see more and more tourists coming, bringing their money to buy food in the market, to eat at the restaurants, to stay at the hotels. That supports and benefits everyone, including the turtles.”

Allman and his research team also tag sea turtles to track their migration patterns. His success with the project has generated interest among others across Ghana who may try to establish their own programs for other coastal villages.