Banana Boat Creates Nest Domes To Protect Sea Turtles From The Torching Sun

After safeguarding people from the sun, Banana Boat is now protecting the sea turtles from the drastic effects of climate change. Sunscreen, of course, won’t work—but thoughtfully designed shell-ters will.

Experts have worryingly observed that 99% of sea turtles hatched in the last four years are female. That’s because the warmth of the sand that the eggs are in can determine the sex of the hatchlings. If the temperature is under 27.7°C (81.9°F), the turtles will be born male. However, temperatures above 31°C (87.8°F) would influence the babies to hatch as females.

As suggested by the statistics, beaches have been too hot in the past years for sea turtles to be born as male, which will naturally cause a dip in the population.

Banana Boat isn’t riding the wave. Together with The Colombian Sea Turtle Conservation Program (ProCTMM) and creative agency Wunderman Thompson Colombia, the sun protection brand is giving the turtles a literally cool solution to their problem: Nest Domes.

Designed under the guidance of marine biologists, with involvement by local artisans, designers, and engineers, the Nest Domes are crafted in the organic shape of turtle shells using materials found in nature. These second homes for the sea turtles help regulate the temperature of sand on beaches with the right conditions for shade and ventilation, enabling the birth of an equal female-to-male ratio.

“It’s our mission to be a positive force for good and protect fun under the sun—and that includes sea turtles,” notes Gabriel Suarez, Latin America Marketing Director at Banana Boat parent company Edgewell. “We’re delighted to be part of this initiative that will reduce the impact of dangerous UV Rays that affect both humans and other species that are in urgent need of protection, and become one of the first sunscreen brands to take action and protect this much-loved species.”

The domes are crafted from locally-sourced Caribbean wood and have a light finish to reflect the sun’s rays, and are coated in flaxseed oil to fend off the humidity during rain.

Their interiors are purposefully lined with cork, which is 100% biodegradable and happens to be a natural coolant. They also have windows to promote the circulation of wind and expulsion of hot air.

“During the evolution of the prototypes we were able to lower the temperature in the nests by 4ºC. Thanks to this project, we are able to recreate the pivotal temperature needed to achieve an even proportion of male and female sea turtles,” remarks Aminta Jauregui, Head Researcher of the Sea Turtle Conservation Project.

To seriously make a difference, Banana Boat and ProCTMM are making the Nest Domes’ blueprint open-sourced so anybody around the world can build and install their own version of the tiny huts on beaches.

The Nest Domes proved to be a success during a pilot project on the beaches of Santa Marta, Colombia, and are now headed to numerous other beaches along Mexico and the Caribbean coasts.

“It’s an outstanding feat of innovation, and we’re optimistic it will have a positive impact on the future sea turtle population who are now classified as endangered,” concludes Jauregui.

[via Banana Boat Latinoamérica and Wunderman Thompson Colombia, images courtesy]