Name of the facility Turtle Bay Beach Club
Certification Achieved Gold
Year opened 1972
Tourism region Coast
County Kilifi
Address Watamu
Map It
Telephone/Mobile 0721 830604/ 0734 601066
Email [email protected]
Website turtlebay.co.ke
Facility Notes Turtle Bay Beach Club is located is situated within a protected Marine park – Watamu Marine National park. The camp is specifically located on Global Positioning System (GPS) Coordinates, Latitude -3.36131 and Longitude 40.00326. It has 145 guest tents with a bed capacity of 300 visitors and a total work force of 170 employees. The facility is built on 10 acres (4.04686 ha) of land. Habitats in the Watamu Marine National Reserve include intertidal rock, sand and mud, fringing reefs and coral gardens, coral cliffs, sandy beaches and the Mida Creek mangrove forest. Marine life attractions include fish, turtles, dugongs and crabs. Other important biodiversity conservation areas near the facility include Mida Creek, Gede ruins and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.
Energy management Main source of power for the Hotel comes from the Kenya Power electricity grid; however, the hotel has a backup generator with an output capacity of 555 KvA. The generator servicing hours are closely monitored. Turtle Bay has metered its energy consumption at the main grid, per department or accommodation blocks and major consumption areas including the laundry. Data / records obtained are used to monitor consumption and calculate monthly costing. Consumption data and graphs are shared with the respective Heads of Departments on monthly basis.
The hotel has an energy policy with emphasis on enhancing energy efficiency, investing on clean energy efficient technology and reducing its environmental impact from energy consumption. It has installed energy saving and Lighting Emitting Diodes (LED) bulbs throughout its premises. Energy efficient appliances such as water heater timers or thermostats and ‘Key cards’- a magnetically encoded plastic card used as a key in a door and to operate other electronic devices are installed in the guest rooms to control energy use. The facility has installed a solar heating boiler for its kitchen. The heater has a water capacity of 300 litres. LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) is used for cooking throughout the facility. Staff and guests are sensitized on energy conservation through departmental meetings, room information folders and visual signage such as “switch me off” signs are available around the premises
Environmental management Turtle Bay has a comprehensive environmental policy with emphasis on compliance with relevant environmental and government legislations, pollution prevention, improving local peoples’ welfare, sustainable purchasing, and general minimizing of its operational impacts to the environment. The facility has an Eco-Policy Team which spearheads environmental initiatives and implementation of the environmental policy. This team meets once a week, and it constitutes heads of departments. In addition, there is also an Eco-Team made up of junior staff members.
Chemical use Gas is bought and stored in two (2) tonnes cylinder. The storage area is well secured with precautionary signage put up. Fuel (diesel) for use is stored in twenty (20) liter containers in a well secured storage area and a safety signage is fixed. Turtle Bay uses Odex chemicals in its laundry. Material Safety Data Sheets for the Chemicals are available. Staff is trained on handling the use.
Conservation Criteria
Community Criteria
Solid waste management Waste separation is conducted at the source, (staff kitchen and guest kitchen) the bins are clearly labelled. There are several waste holding bins in the facility main guests’ accommodation blocks. The bins are labelled. Organic waste is managed through chamber composting. The facility has four (4) chambers. Manure is used in the garden for planting lawns and trees. 18litre water dispensers are placed at the visitor’s accommodation blocks as an initiative to reduce on plastic waste. Waste paper collected from the facility is used for making charcoal briquettes. The briquettes are used within the facility for making barbeques. Tetra packs waste papers are used for seedlings germination. Plastics waste is sorted and donated to Watamu Marine Association. Weekly clean up exercise is carried out at the facility and close monitoring is done to ensure efficiency is attained on waste management.
Water management The main source of water for the Hotel is from the Malindi Water & Sewerage Co Ltd (Watamu). The water is pumped into two (2) reservoirs; with a total capacity of approximately 100,000 litres. The water is fixed with two meters at the main inlet and outlet. Water monitoring is done at the facility and records analysed on bed capacity. The Hotel encourages its visitors to ‘re-use their towels’ through their room information sheets aimed at water conservation and reduced use of laundry chemicals. Water efficient appliances such as high pressure shower heads fitted with facets (tap flow reducers) have been installed in the guest rooms. The facility has also adjusted its single toilet cisterns reducing water consumed per single toilet flush by approximately 30% (from 15 – 10 litres). The guest washrooms (urinals) at the restaurant and reception areas are fixed with sensor flush appliances to minimize on water usage. Laundry machines are operated at their optimum load to conserve energy and water.
Visitor communication & education The hotel has elaborate room information folders with information on hotel operations, nature conservation activities within and around Watamu area. Guests are also briefed upon arrival on the existing activities and environmental conservation such as energy and water management. Turtle Bay keeps an updated information notice board of the available activities or unique areas/spots to visit within Watamu / Kilifi region. This include; Watamu Marine Association, Gede Ruins, Mida Creek, Arabuko Sokoke Forest etc.
Pollution The generator is stored in an acoustic body (sound proof room) and fitted with a muffler (sound reducing devices). The facility Lights are covered or shaded to reduce light pollution. The kitchen is properly ventilated with a kitchen hub and an AC system. Energy saving bulbs are used for lighting throughout the facility.
Environmental conservation Turtle Bay supports Arocha Kenya through marketing or publicizing its initiatives to the guests. This is done through visitor briefing, and posting brochures or information materials on notice boards. The facility supports turtle conservation through Watamu Turtle Watch. The hotel conducts beach clean-ups through its staff on weekly basis depending on the amount of litter within the area. Turtle Bay Beach Club is a key partner and founding member of Watamu Marine Association, (WMA) a membership organization formed to benefit the local community, protect the environment and promote quality tourism. The hotel supports WMA by marketing its initiatives to the visitors at guests briefing, on notice boards and by creating a resource area for information distribution. Additionally, Turtle Bay donates all its plastic waste to WMA Plastic Recycling Centre. The plastics are shredded at the centre and sold to Mombasa Plastics Recycling Company. Others include membership fees, beach or roadsides clean ups.
The hotel supports Mida Creek Conservation Community, by marketing the organizations conservation initiatives and activities. Mida Creek activities include mangrove plantings, beach clean-ups beekeeping, selling mangrove tree seedlings, crab farming and other aquaculture initiatives. The hotel rears and plants indigenous tree seedlings within its premises. The Hotel architectural design blends with the Coastal Swahili architectural designs surrounding
Waste water management Swimming pool water is cleaned via vacuum cleaning and backwash system. The effluent (backwash) water is collected in an open tank for natural sun de-chlorination. The water is re-used within the pool. Approximately 3,000 litres of water is collected and re-used per week. Turtle Bay has a waste water treatment plant that caters for both Grey and Black effluent. Grey water from the kitchen passes through a grease trap. The grease trap is cleaned regularly to remove excess fats and oils.The effluent joins black and grey effluent from the guests’ area; it’s pumped into the treatment plant. The waste water treatment plant has five (5) main (enclosed) chambers with various stages of filtration, biological and enzymes treatment. Chlorination is done in the last chamber to purify the water. The effluent is used for irrigating the lawns, tree seedlings and aesthetic flowers
Purchasing and supplies The hotel purchases its food products in sustainable ways to reduce on packaging. Fruits and vegetables are packed in re-usable (Kikapu) baskets and crates. Dry goods such as floor and sugar are bought in bulk. Meat is stored in cold rooms.
Employment and remuneration/staff welfare Turtle Bay has a staff welfare works committee that represents employees’ issues to the management. The facility holds weekly staff welfare meetings. Staff issues are discussed during the meetings
Staff education, communication and awareness training The facility has notice boards used for staff communication. Materials on the notice boards include the environmental policy and meetings schedules. Posters and signage are also used for staff communication.
Cultural preservation and promotion/protection of local sites The hotel supports various entertainment groups within Watamu and Kilifi area. The groups performing at the hotel are paid a rate of Kshs. 20, 000 on monthly basis. Every Friday afternoon, Turtle Bay allows the local people who deal in curios to bring their merchandise and sell directly to the visitors at the hotel premises. All Makuti thatching within the facility are donated to suppliers within the facility. The hotel ensures its food is endowed with local Swahili dishes as way of promoting the local cuisines.
Benefits to local community/community empowerment The Hotel purchases its products such as Fish, vegetables, honey, fruits and meat locally. Fruits are bought from Watamu while honey is obtained from the local Arabuko Sokoke Forest. Also, the hotel markets the sale of the honey to its visitors and staff. The Hotel also purchases in-house décor from the local dealers. Curios sold at the hotel are obtained from the local suppliers. Approximately 80% of the permanent employees at the facility are from the local Watamu and North Coast area; all the casuals are employed from the local Watamu town centre.
Through its social corporate responsibility; Turtle Bay has invested in education, health care and Community well-being. This includes;
• Education: the hotel offers sponsorships to students in primary and secondary school. The sponsorship program has 43 students. Some of the schools include Watamu primary, Kilifi Township, Kokoneni Girls, St, Joseph’s primary, Gede Future academy, Gede Secondary amongst others. Others include donations of learning materials such as text books, pens, and exercise books; offers internship trainings to excelling students from the local area.
• Health: Turtle Bay supported establishment of Timboni Community dispensary. Recently, the hotel funded the expansion of the maternity wing for the clinic. A lab technician for the clinic is employed by the hotel on a salary of Ksh. 6000 per month. Additionally, the facility hosts volunteers from People and Places, who work at the clinic and conduct medical camps within the local villages.
• Orphanage support: Turtle Bay supports a number of orphanage homes within Watamu area. Support is made through food and bedding donations. Some of the homes that have benefited from such initiatives include; God Our Father, Happy House and (SPK) Munyaka Children’s Home.
Cultural Criteria
Health and safety The facility has an emergency evacuation plan or procedure pinned in the guest rooms. Medical checkups are conducted every six months to all kitchen staff (food and beverage handlers) in the facility. Turtle Bay has been inspected and issued with a Health Clearance Certificate under the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation. The hotel has an in-house doctor to cater for staff and guest medical health care. First aid kits (boxes) are distributed in the main departments such as laundry and kitchen. Firefighting equipment such as fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, fire blanket, automatic fire suppression appliances are serviced and strategically placed within the facility. The Hotel provides PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) including boots, gloves, and aprons to its staff. Safety and precautionary signage are fixed in strategic areas such as “No Diving” signs at the swimming pool. “No smoking” and “highly flammable” signage at the gas storage area. The swimming pool attendant is regularly sensitized on proper monitoring and maintenance. There is a health and safety committee in place to spearhead health and safety issues at the hotel. Fire Safety Audit, Risk Assessment and Occupational Health and Safety Audit have been conducted at the facility. Health and safety meetings are held regularly to address on risk-assessments and safety within the work place.
Child labor, abuse and human rights The facility does not employ any person below the legal working age of 18 years.
Business Practises Criteria
Entry Date 13th March 2018