Kélonia is a
public aquarium
A public aquarium (plural: ''public aquaria'' or ''public Water Zoo'') is the aquatic counterpart of a zoo, which houses living aquatic animal and plant specimens for public viewing. Most public aquariums feature tanks larger than those kept b ...
and observatory specialising in
Marine turtle
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...
s in
Saint-Leu, Réunion
Saint-Leu () is a commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located on the west coast of the island of Réunion.
Geography Climate
Saint-Leu has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cwa'') closely ...
.
It was built on the site of a former
Turtle Ranch and purposes guided visits and educational workshops.
Kélonia also participates on different research programs on
marine turtles
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...
. These include migratory studies, monitoring populations, genetics, etc.
It also has a turtle clinic.
Images
File:Bassins-Kélonia-baie.JPG, Bassins
File:Chelonia_mydas_albino_p1440273.jpg, Albino green sea turtle
The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...
File:Eretmochelys-imbricata-Kélonia-1.JPG, Hawksbill sea turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is largel ...
File:Chelonia mydas Kelonia.JPG, Green sea turtle
The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...
File:Lepidochelys-olivacea-Kélonia-1.JPG, Olive ridley sea turtle
The olive ridley sea turtle (''Lepidochelys olivacea''), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in th ...
External links
Official website of Kélonia
IfrmerFollow released turtles of Kélonia with argos location beacons.
Kelonia in Reunion
Kelonia Sea Turtle Aquarium
Saint-Leu, Réunion
Vertebrates of Réunion
Kelonia-sea turtle oberservatory and aquarium
Organizations based in Réunion
{{Zoo-stub