Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Privacy Policy

At Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you visit our website, contact us, apply for volunteering, make a donation, request a Birthday Turtle Protection Gift, book a project visit, or communicate with us by WhatsApp, email, phone, or online forms.

By using our website or contacting us, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Last Updated: 7 May 2026

1. Who We Are

Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project is a local marine conservation initiative based in Ahungalla, Sri Lanka. Our work focuses mainly on sea turtle conservation, with supporting shark conservation volunteering, responsible marine awareness, visitor education, beach cleaning, donations, and ethical conservation support.

Contact Details

2. Information We May Collect

We may collect personal information when you contact us, complete a form, apply for volunteering, make a donation, request a birthday certificate, book a visit, or communicate with us.

      Name
      Country
      Email address
      Phone or WhatsApp number
      Preferred visit or volunteer dates
      Number of visitors or volunteers
      Age or age group where relevant
      Travel details where required for volunteer support
      Accommodation or transfer requirements
      Donation details
      Birthday certificate name
      Birthday date if shared for certificate purpose
      Gift message for birthday donation
      School, university, group, or organisation name
      Health, dietary, or safety notes shared by volunteers
      Messages, questions, or enquiry details
      Photos, videos, or testimonials if you choose to share them

We only ask for information that is relevant to your enquiry, booking, donation, volunteer application, or project support request.

3. How We Collect Information

We may collect information through:

      Website contact forms
      Volunteer application forms
      Birthday Turtle Protection Gift forms
      Donation enquiry forms
      Project visit booking forms
      WhatsApp messages
      Phone calls
      Email communication
      Social media messages
      In person visits
      Student or group visit enquiries
      Photos, videos, or testimonials shared with permission
We may also collect basic website usage information through cookies, analytics tools, or similar technologies if they are used on the website.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to communicate with you and provide the services or information you request.

We May Use Your Information To

      Reply to your enquiries
      Process volunteer applications
      Arrange project visits
      Manage student or group visit requests
      Prepare Birthday Turtle Protection Gift certificates
      Confirm donation enquiries
      Send thank you messages or project updates
      Provide information about volunteer programs
      Arrange accommodation or transport support where requested
      Improve our website and communication
      Share project updates if you have agreed to receive them
      Maintain basic records for project management
      Respond to safety or emergency needs related to volunteers
      Comply with legal, accounting, or administrative requirements

We do not sell your personal information.

5. Volunteer Application Information

If you apply to volunteer with Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project, we may request additional details to help us prepare for your visit and support your safety.

This may include:

      Age
      Travel dates
      Volunteer duration
      Emergency contact details where required
      Health or dietary notes you choose to share
      Accommodation needs
      Airport transfer support requests
      Previous volunteer experience
      Group or school details if applicable

We use this information only to manage your volunteer enquiry, prepare your program, communicate with you, and support your safety during your time with us.

If a volunteer is under 18 years old, we may require consent from a parent, guardian, school, or authorised group leader.

6. Birthday Turtle Protection Gift Information

If you request a Birthday Turtle Protection Gift, we may collect:

      Donor name
      Country
      Email address
      WhatsApp number
      Name to appear on the certificate
      Birthday person’s name
      Birthday date if shared
      Gift message
      Donation package
      Certificate delivery preference
      Supporter wall preference

We use this information to prepare your digital certificate, confirm your donation enquiry, send thank you messages, and manage donation related communication.

We do not treat sea turtles as owned animals. Any name on a certificate is symbolic and is used only to thank the donor or birthday person for supporting conservation.

7. Donation Information

If you make a donation or ask about donating, we may collect basic information needed to confirm and manage your donation.

This may include:

      Name
      Country
      Email address
      Phone or WhatsApp number
      Donation amount or package
      Donation purpose
      Certificate details if applicable
      Payment confirmation details where required

We do not store full payment card details on our website unless a secure third party payment provider is used. If online payments are introduced in the future, payment processing may be handled by a trusted third party payment service.

8. Photos, Videos, Testimonials, and Media

We may take or receive photos, videos, reviews, or testimonials from volunteers, visitors, donors, or project supporters.

We will only use identifiable photos, videos, or testimonials for website, social media, marketing, awareness, or project updates when permission has been given or when the content has been clearly shared for that purpose.

You Can Request

      Removal of your photo from our website where practical
      Removal of your testimonial where practical
      Correction of your name or details
      Non publication of your photo, video, or personal story

We do not encourage media content that shows careless handling of turtles, staged turtle releases, flash photography, or unethical wildlife interaction.

9. Children and Young Visitors

Our project may receive enquiries from families, schools, student groups, and young volunteers.

If a child or person under 18 is involved in volunteering, group visits, certificates, photos, or donations, we may require consent from a parent, guardian, teacher, or authorised group leader.

We do not knowingly collect unnecessary personal information from children. If a parent or guardian believes a child has shared personal information without permission, please contact us and we will take reasonable steps to remove or correct it.

10. WhatsApp, Email, and Social Media Communication

When you contact us by WhatsApp, email, phone, or social media, we may use the details you provide to reply to you and manage your enquiry.

Please remember that WhatsApp, email platforms, and social media platforms are operated by third party companies. Their own privacy policies may also apply when you use their services.

We recommend not sending highly sensitive personal information through social media messages unless necessary.

11. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies to improve website performance, understand visitor behaviour, and support basic analytics.

Cookies are small files stored on your device when you visit a website.

Cookies May Help Us Understand

      Which pages are visited
      How visitors use the website
      How to improve website content
      General traffic and performance
      Enquiry or conversion activity

You can usually control or disable cookies through your browser settings. If you disable cookies, some parts of the website may not work as expected.

If the website uses tools such as Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Google Tag Manager, or similar services in the future, those tools may collect usage information according to their own privacy policies.

12. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share limited information only when needed to provide requested services or manage the project.

We May Share Information With

      Project team members
      Volunteer coordinators
      Accommodation providers if requested
      Transport providers if requested
      Payment service providers if online payment is used
      Website hosting or IT service providers
      Email or communication service providers
      Legal, accounting, or regulatory advisers where required
      Schools, universities, or group leaders where relevant

We only share information that is necessary for the purpose.

13. International Visitors and Data Transfers

Many of our visitors, volunteers, and donors may contact us from outside Sri Lanka, including Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and other countries.

When you contact us from another country, your personal information may be processed in Sri Lanka or through third party communication and hosting services that operate internationally.

We take reasonable steps to handle your information carefully and only for the purpose for which it was provided.

14. How Long We Keep Your Information

We keep your personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose it was collected.

We May Keep Information For

      Responding to enquiries
      Managing volunteer applications
      Arranging project visits
      Processing donations or birthday certificates
      Maintaining basic project records
      Legal, accounting, or administrative purposes
      Resolving disputes or questions
      Sending updates where consent has been given

If you would like us to delete your information, you can contact us. We will take reasonable steps to remove it unless we need to keep it for legal, accounting, safety, or legitimate project reasons.

15. How We Protect Your Information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Our Protection Measures May Include

      Limiting access to personal information
      Using secure communication where practical
      Keeping records only as needed
      Avoiding unnecessary collection of data
      Reviewing project communication practices
      Using trusted service providers where required.

No method of internet communication or electronic storage is completely secure. However, we take reasonable care to protect the information you share with us.

16. Your Privacy Rights

      Ask what personal information we hold about you
      Request correction of inaccurate information
      Request deletion of your personal information
      Withdraw consent for marketing or updates
      Object to certain uses of your information
      Request that we stop using your photo, video, or testimonial where practical
      Ask questions about how your information is used

If you are in the European Economic Area or another region with specific privacy rights, you may have additional rights under applicable data protection laws.

To make a privacy request, please contact us using the details below.

17. Marketing and Project Updates

We may send you project updates, volunteer information, donation updates, or conservation news if you have contacted us, supported the project, or agreed to receive updates.

You can ask us to stop sending updates at any time by contacting us through email or WhatsApp.

We do not send unnecessary marketing messages, and we do not sell your contact details to other organisations.

18. Third Party Links

Our website may include links to third party websites, social media pages, payment platforms, travel partners, or other resources.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of third party websites. Please review their privacy policies before sharing personal information with them.

19. Data Accuracy

We try to keep personal information accurate and up to date. If your contact details, certificate details, booking information, or volunteer details change, please contact us so we can update our records.

20. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our project, website, services, donation methods, legal requirements, or privacy practices.

The latest version will be published on this page with the updated date.

21. Contact Us About Privacy

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us.