The Turtle Hatchery of Pemuteran started in 1994 after Austalian Chris Brown, who was setting up his dive center at that time, bought a sea turtle from a local fisherman who caught the animal in one of his nets by accident, to save its life; the turtle was tied to a rope and let out to graze in the sea during the day, and at night brought into a small pond. A second turtle soon joined the first and thus started the Turtle Hatchery Project.
The project's mission is to promote the protection of the wild turtle population and to stop, or at least diminish the worthless slaughtering of turtles.
Up to 2001, more than 3000 juvenile turtles have been released into the ocean as well as many larger adults. Usually they are Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) and Olive Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea).
The turtles cost about Rp. 50,000 for the first six months of life. They are fed twice a day with sardines, silverside fish and baitfish.
The tanks, in which between 150 and 200 turtles - separated according to their age - swim around, are drained and refilled once a day.
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