Wildlife adoptions are one of the strategies conservation groups are using to raise awareness and raise funds for their causes. Nowadays, you can find various adopt-a-wild animal programs to help the different species that are threatened or endangered.
Adopting wild animals is only symbolic and you actually don’t get to take home the wild animal. After all, these creatures are better off in the wild or being cared for by experts.
When you adopt a wild animal, you pay a fee which is essentially a donation that goes towards helping an individual animal or an entire species. This donation supports the goals of the conservation group, foundation, or charity that helps these wild animals.
There are many wild animal adoption programs out there that will take your money, give you an adoption certificate or a gift, and be done with it. But, there are also some organizations that will let you adopt a wild animal and give you updates afterward, which I think is pretty amazing.
After all, as a donor, I would like to know that my donation is being put to good use and that my adopted animal is getting the love and protection it needs.
In this post, I will share with you some really cool wildlife adoptions I’ve discovered for ocean lovers. These conservation programs will allow you to adopt a sea animal and track it!
So if you would like to adopt a wild animal and track it, here are some of the most unique wildlife adoption programs that you can support.
- 1. Sea Turtle Conservation- Adopt a sea turtle and track it
- 2. Saving the Blue- Adopt a shark and track it
- 3. Polar Bears International- Adopt a polar bear and track it
- 4. Reefscapers- Adopt a coral and track it
- 5. Mar Alliance- Adopt a whale shark and track it
- 6. Micronesian Conservation Coalition- Adopt a manta ray and track it
- 7. Ocean's Initiative- Adopt a dolphin and track it
- 8. Blue Ocean Society- Adopt a whale and track it
- 9. Galapagos Conservation- Adopt a penguin and track it
- 10. Seal Research Trust – Adopt a seal and track it
- 11. Save the Manatees- Adopt a manatee and track it
1. Sea Turtle Conservation- Adopt a sea turtle and track it
One of the most popular animals you can adopt and track for updates is a sea turtle. Symbolically adopting sea turtles can be unique gifts for sea turtle lovers.
Through Sea Turtle Conservancy, you can choose from 20+ satellite-tracked sea turtles that can be adopted and tracked.
Each STC sea turtle adoption pack includes a personalized adoption certificate, a Sea Turtle Conservation Guide, a membership window cling, a sea turtle sticker and bookmark, a hatchling magnet, and a one-year subscription to STC’s membership publication, all in a keepsake sea turtle folder. To avail of this, donation starts at $30.
When you adopt a sea turtle you also receive a tracking number so you can monitor online where in the world your sea turtle is.
If you love the idea of tracking sea turtles, you can check out Fahlo where you can buy a bracelet with a real sea turtle to track. A portion of the proceeds from The Journey Bracelet is donated to Sea Turtle Conservancy. (Use the code: DIVERBLISS20 to get a discount on your sea turtle bracelet.)
Scam Alert: Sea Turtle Conservancy claims that some companies may have illegally used their sea turtle tracking numbers as a perk to buyers. Please watch out for those scammers. If you wish to support Sea Turtle Conservancy, you can get your turtle bracelets from their exclusive partner- Fahlo formerly known as Wildlife Collections.
If you would like to help save sea turtles, here are 10 Best Adopt a Turtle Programs That Are Turtley Awesome
2. Saving the Blue- Adopt a shark and track it
Another ocean animal that you can adopt and track for updates is a shark.
Through the shark conservation group called Saving the Blue, you can adopt a tagged shark. You can choose from a list of different shark species that’s been tagged and you will be sent a unique adoption certificate and tag ID.
Saving the Blue’s tagged shark adoption starts at $50 and can reach up to $2000. No one else in the world will have the same tagged shark as yours which makes it a pretty awesome gift for sharks lovers.
If you love the idea of being able to track sharks, Saving the Blue also has a collaboration with Fahlo where you can buy a bracelet with a real shark to track. A portion of the proceeds from The Voyage Bracelet is donated to Saving the Blue. (Use the code: DIVERBLISS20 to get a discount on your shark tracking bracelet.)
Learn more about sharks by reading these 35 Fun Facts About Sharks.
If you would like to help save sharks, here are 10 Best Adopt a Shark Programs That Are Fin-tastic.
3. Polar Bears International- Adopt a polar bear and track it
Another wild animal you can adopt and track are polar bears.
Weighing up to 1430 pounds and growing as much as nine feet in length, polar bears are the largest bear species and the biggest land carnivores. While they live on land, they are also considered as marine mammals since they spend most of their time in the sea ice to hunt for food.
For $25, you can virtually adopt this endangered species from Polar Bears International. This wildlife adoption includes a beautiful personalized eco-certificate which you can gift to yourself or to someone special. While you won’t be given any specific tracking number, you can check the polar bear tracker on the website to see where all the monitored bears are at a given time.
Polar Bear International has a collaboration with Fahlo, formerly Wildlife Collections, where you can buy a bracelet with a real polar bear to track. If you are looking for a Polar Bear Tracking Bracelet, check out The Venture Bracelet.
This bracelet helps save our oceans by creating awareness on one of its important inhabitants- the polar bears. A portion of all proceeds is donated to Polar Bears International so they can continue their polar bear research and their conservation work to protect wild polar bears.
If you would like to help save polar bears, here are 8 Best Adopt a Polar Bear Programs that are Bear-y Cool
4. Reefscapers- Adopt a coral and track it
In case you didn’t know, corals are, in fact, animals and they are also one of the sea creatures you can adopt and track!
While corals technically do not move or are stationed to the same spot, you can still track how they are growing.
Reefscapers is one of the organizations where you can adopt a sea animal and track it. They are responsible for planting more than half a million coral colonies all over the Maldives. And their adopt a coral program is responsible for that.
When you adopt a coral or a coral frame through Reefscapers, you will receive an adoption certificate as well as a unique reference number so you can follow your adopted coral’s growth online. Reefscapers upload photos bi-annually so you can check on their progress.
For as low as $5, you can adopt a single coral fragment and be part of a crowd-funded community coral frame. You can also choose to adopt an entire coral frame and choose where you want your adopted corals to permanently grow in the Maldives. This usually costs $170-$500 depending on the shape and size.
If you would like to help save coral reefs around the world, check out these 10 Best Adopt a Coral Reef Programs That Save Our Oceans
5. Mar Alliance- Adopt a whale shark and track it
Another wild animal you can adopt is the whale shark. There are actually several adopt a whale shark programs you can support, but if you are looking to adopt a sea animal and track it, Mar Alliance may just be the organization for you.
You can support Mar Alliance by adopting one or both of its satellite-tagged whale shark. Tracking the whale shark’s movements and habits can cost a lot of money and resources. By adopting a whale shark, you will be helping cover some of the expenses involved in the study of the gentle giants.
The Whale Shark Pup adoption package includes a fun personalized digital certificate of adoption with the shark’s details, a digital picture of your adopted whale shark, and a whales shark info fact sheet. This virtual ocean wildlife adoption is only $55.
For an additional $90, the Juvie Whale Shark adoption package entitles you to weekly email update of your shark’s location. You will be given tracking updates as long as the satellite tag remains on the shark and transmits its location. This can be a pretty cool gift for whale shark lovers.
6. Micronesian Conservation Coalition- Adopt a manta ray and track it
Micronesian Conservation Coalition started The Manta Project so they can ID individual manta rays in Guam, keep track of their health and behavior, and educate the locals about the manta rays. By adopting a manta ray through Micronesian Conservation Coalition you are helping continue their research and conservation efforts on these endangered species.
While they offer several levels of adopting, their most premium adoption goes towards the tagging of manta rays. If you are looking to adopt a wild animal and track it, sponsoring a manta ray’s tracking device would be pretty impressive.
Depending on your donation budget, you can sponsor an acoustic receiver and tag for manta ray small-scale movement which costs $2000, or a satellite tag for manta ray large-scale movement which costs $5000. If you or your company has that extra money lying around, you might want to consider this cool wildlife adoption program.
These tagged manta ray adoptions will entitle you to participate in the actual deployment of the devices. If you are not able to attend, you will be sent a video instead. You will also get personalized updates on any information they gather from the trackers on your adopted manta.
If you would like to help save manta rays from other regions of the world, here are 9 Best Adopt a Manta Ray Programs You Can Support
7. Ocean’s Initiative- Adopt a dolphin and track it
For the past 11 years, the Ocean’s Initiative team travel to a remote inlet of coastal British Canada to conduct research on a population of Pacific white-sided dolphins. By monitoring these dolphins annually, they are able to detect changes in the environment and most especially the dolphin’s health and population.
When you symbolically adopt a marine mammal through Ocean’s Initiative, you are contributing to their research. In return, you will receive a personalized adoption certificate, a photograph of your dolphin, along with its story, and an Oceans Initiative dolphin sticker.
The scientists are able to track the dolphins over time by photographing the unique markings on their dorsal fins. Because the dolphins are monitored through this method, you will receive updates of future sightings of your dolphin or its pod.
This ocean animal adoption is a wonderful gift for dolphin lovers. You may choose to adopt a dolphin for a year, 2 years, or for life and it will only cost you $40, $70, and $250, respectively.
If you would like to help save other dolphin species, here are 10 Best Adopt a Dolphin Programs You Should Support
If you love the idea of tracking dolphin, you can check out Fahlo where you can buy a bracelet with a real dolphin to track. A portion of the proceeds from The Odyssey Bracelet is donated to FIU Marine Conservation Ecology Lab. (Use the code: DIVERBLISS20 to get a discount on your sea turtle bracelet.)
8. Blue Ocean Society- Adopt a whale and track it
Blue Ocean Society is an ocean conservation group that focuses on protecting marine life in the Gulf of Maine. Since 1996, they have studied whales in the area, focusing particularly on fin and humpback whales.
If you would like to support their research and education efforts, you can adopt a whale through Blue Ocean Society. You can select from 6 local whales that have been sighted frequently.
For just $30, you can get this ocean animal adoption as a gift for whale lovers. You or the gift recipient will receive a personalized adoption certificate, a high-resolution color image of your whale, a sightings history, and a species fact sheet. The whale adoption kit is mailed to you but you can also receive the digital version via email which is more eco-friendly and convenient for last-minute gift shopping.
While the whales do not have tracking chips or devices, Blue Ocean Society will update you on your adopted wildlife’s whereabouts. Every time they spot your whale in the area, you can expect an email update on your adopted sea creature.
If you would like to help save whales, here are 10 Best Adopt a Whale Programs That You Whale Love.
9. Galapagos Conservation- Adopt a penguin and track it
If you want to adopt an endangered wildlife, you might want to consider adopting the Galapagos penguin.
Endemic to the Galapagos islands, this penguin is the world’s only penguin species to live north of the Equator. Unlike other penguins that are only found in the Southern Hemisphere, the Galapagos penguins can survive tropical climate. The cold water currents that circulate around Galapagos make it possible for them to survive in the region.
The Galapagos penguins are listed as endangered species due to several factors like pollution and climate change. By adopting this wild sea animal you will contribute towards the Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos program which assesses the impact of plastic on penguins and other marine species.
In exchange for your donation, you will receive a fact file full of information about the Galapagos penguin, a personalized adoption certificate and a soft penguin toy. With your permission, Galapagos Conservation may also send you email updates about your adopted wild animal and about the conservation work in Galapagos.
The Galapagos penguin adoption is only £35.00 which makes it a fantastic gifts for scuba divers who have dived or dream of diving in Galapagos Islands.
You can also help save other penguins through other conservation groups. Check out this list of 10 Best Adopt a Penguin Programs That Save The Adorable Sea Birds
If you love the idea of being able to track penguins, you can check out this bracelet from Fahlo where you can buy a bracelet with a real penguin to track. A portion of the proceeds from The Passage Bracelet is donated to Global Penguin Society. (Use the code: DIVERBLISS20 to get a discount on your penguin tracking bracelet.)
10. Seal Research Trust – Adopt a seal and track it
Did you know that you can adopt a real wild seal from Seal Research Trust? This conservation charity has been rescuing and providing expert care for sick, injured, or distressed seals and other marine animals for the past 20 years.
If you want to help their cause, you can adopt a wild sea animal that they have rescued. They currently have 10 individual seals you can adopt for only £35. When you adopt a wild animal, you will receive a personalized certificate of your chosen charismatic wild seal, and a supporter’s pack full of exclusive information about your seal species and how to best help them.
Your wildlife adoption also entitles you to a year’s update on your seal. You will be sent photos, videos, and news about your wild animal, their companions, and conservation efforts being done to protect your adopted animal.
If you would like to help save seals, here are 10 Best Adopt A Seal Program That Will Get Your Seal of Approval
11. Save the Manatees- Adopt a manatee and track it
The manatee is considered one of the most fascinating animals on the planet. Famous for their slow-moving beauty, these grazing animals are aquatic relatives of the elephant. The manatees need your help as their lives and habitats continue to be threatened by human activities and waterfront developments.
If you would like to help save a manatee, you can symbolically adopt a manatee through Save the Manatees. For as low as $25 you can adopt a real manatee that is frequently spotted in areas like Blue Spring State Park near Orange City, the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Homosassa, and Tampa Bay.
The funds collected through your wildlife adoption go towards efforts to protect the manatees and their habitats. By adopting this sea animal, you will receive an adoption certificate with a full-color photo and a biography of a real Florida manatee, and a 28-page membership handbook with information on manatees.
You will also get updates on the adopted manatees via the official club newsletter, The Manatee Zone, so you will know how your adopted wild animal is doing.
If you would like to help save other manatees, here are the 7 Best Adopt a Manatee Programs.
Have you symbolically adopted a wild animal before? What was the experience like?
Do you know of other organizations that let you adopt a sea animal and track it for updates? Do you know of any wildlife adoptions in your own country that needs to be supported? Leave a comment below!
