The northern stretch of Tofo beach is an active nesting site for loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles, two of the Indian Ocean's endangered turtle species. From October to February, females come ashore at night to dig their nests and lay eggs. Conservation volunteers and some local operators run guided night walks during nesting season; the experience of watching a 200-kilogram leatherback laboriously drag itself up the beach, excavate a nest with her flippers, and deposit her eggs is quietly unforgettable.
The walks must be done with guides — independent visitors are asked not to approach nesting turtles, as lights and disturbance can send them back into the water without nesting. Ask at the dive centres in town for the current schedule and which operators are running legitimate conservation-based tours. Some of the hatchling releases later in the season are also open to visitors.