Terra Conscious

07/07/2025

Thank you to and .miranda for shining a much needed spotlight on the marine biodiversity of goa and the key role marine species and ecosystems play in not only providing Ecosystem Services but also support Local Livelihoods.

13/06/2025

💔 We are shocked and saddened to share that our dear friend and colleague Avelino, fondly called Avelin is no longer with us. A tireless champion of Goa's marine and coastal wildlife and protector of the coast, working with the Goa Forest Department as a rescuer, he always went above and beyond the call of duty to respond to every call...from helping a nesting sea turtle to running for every stranding case.

Our deepest condolences to his family, and we hope fair winds carry him to calm seas where he can rest in peace. He is remembered with love, respect and gratitude by all of us.

01/12/2024

We recently had the opportunity to experience an insightful exhibition at , organised by founded by . An immersive technology driven exhibit that helped us virtually deep dive into ocean ecosystems and understand the impact we are having on them especially with regard to . We thank for bringing this wonderful exhibit to Goa and we hope many more get to experience it and learn about the largest ecosystem on our planet ! 🐬🐢🪼🐋💙!

It was heartwarming to observe the participants especially students, react with excitement, including ourselves 😊 as the digital visuals floated past us showing us the wonders of the marine world through whale sharks and leatherback sea turtles, while also reminding us all that each of us have a responsibility to protect and care for our oceans & coasts by not only reducing how much waste we generate but only raising awareness and helping others to make positive changes to help and this vital of our planet.

07/11/2024

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to participate in an engaging panel discussion on conservation careers. It was a privilege to share the stage with and Mr.Jey Kumaran IFS and .

The participating students asked pertinent questions on how to engage policy makers, diversify research interests, develop creative expression of ecological research through art, build social entrepreneurship models for impact and more. Great to have been able to learn from the diverse experiences and journeys of the panelists.

27/10/2024

UPDATE : BOAT OPERATOR PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

This season we are delighted to announce we are working with a new partner Barnard and his team from Dona Paula jetty, Panjim. A resident of the area, Barnard has decades of experience providing tourist experiences and has been part of our capacity building on responsible wildlife watching practices. Barnard has two boats 🛥️ suitable for small and large groups respectively hence we are hopeful of helping him generate more business and earn a higher income through our 🐬🐬.

We are hopeful that through our , other operators in the area will also be inspired to conduct knowledge based marine tours and contribute towards conservation actions for Goa's marine flagship species - The Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin and other marine wildlife.

Our GUIDED group tours for small groups (6-10 pax) / large groups (15 - 25 pax) will be available from Dona Paula Jetty - Panjim ONLY for this season.

For groups of 25 - 40 pax, tours are available only from Miramar Beach with our catamaran operator partner who has transitioned from only doing party trips to now including knowledge driven nature based tours as well through our collaboration. Keep following us to learn more about our community as we grow and evolve this program with your support.

DM for details.

The Marine Mammals of India poster is one of our favourite learning tools developed and shared by & Dr.Dipani Sutaria .

20/08/2024

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity for to contribute to this engaging panel discussion and share perspectives on building a career in the conservation and impact space. We hope that these discussions help shed light on the diverse approaches one can take towards creating a positive impact on our environment and society around us. if you missed the and would like to watch the recorded session! https://www.youtube.com/live/CBLjiCfsxBI?si=DeAJUAuh1oGr0NC4

02/08/2024

How cool is this ?! We are so delighted to be featured along with our boat operator partner in this excellent adventure by our favourite !

A big heartfelt thank you from all of us at Terra Conscious! 🐬❤️🐬❤️🐬❤️🐬❤️🐬❤️ to
Rohan, your talent and generosity in creating this lovely book is absolutely wonderful! Thank you also to and all other partners of this amazing and fun publication. Such a great way to introduce different conservation issues and wildlife !

Get your copy now - contact for details on how to join Chunmun on her eco adventures!

11/07/2024

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/beyond-borders-india-to-sigh-un-high-seas-treaty-on-protection-of-marine-biodiversity/articleshow/111586532.cms

India News: NEW DELHI: India will sign a global ‘High Seas Treaty’ - called Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement - that will allow the count.

08/06/2024

This , we are thrilled to share some very encouraging developments in Goa with you!

We were invited by the Baina Watersports Association (BWA, South Goa) recommended by , as part of their new 'Mogache Baina' campaign initiative, to present the benefits of wildlife friendly community-led tourism operations, aimed at increasing revenue and improving public awareness & . Presentations by & helped add context for the campaign as well. 🤿🪸🐬🐢

The association driven campaign is led by the vision of Mr. Carlos Almeida - BWA Chairperson, a native resident with a deep love of this coast and has served this region as an MLA as well. It envisions 1) Market linkage for responsible operators 2) Capacity building for wildlife friendly watersports operations 3) Need based Infrastructure inputs to facilitate public safety, waste management 4) Seasonal calendar of beach and underwater clean ups at Baina Beach and Grande Island.

The positive feedback and interest from the audience makes us hopeful that these efforts will be initiated in other parts of Goa as well.

We believe that Baina Beach is the perfect location for building this model as commercial tourism is at a nascent stage here and data shows that its waters are home to several Schedule I species. It has also been a site of much strife in the past but has a beautiful history of being fiercely & lovingly protected by its fishing communities.

Continued in comments.

05/06/2024

Do you ever wonder if the tourism industry should have a role to play in biodiversity conservation & climate action in Goa?

Our experience with different stakeholders involved in this industry points strongly to "Yes".

Given that this is one of Goa's main industries, engaging with the governance systems, industry bodies and operators while pushing for the rights & concerns of local communities to be built into the Tourism model the state chooses to reinforce is absolutely key to ecosystem & biodiversity conservation. This will facilitate understanding the impact of climate change on the industry & ecosystems and enable mitigation planning.

Doing so is the only way to ensure the longevity of this industry that provides livelihood to thousands of people.

But how do we do this? With Goa's new push for Regenerative Tourism, the time is right to pivot and disrupt the way Goa conducts tourism.

It's time to set higher standards for the industry, build pride & knowledge in the ecological treasures we have been blessed with and make its protection an integral, non-negotiable & everyday aspect of operating in this Industry.

We must involve the communities that know the most about this land & her seas and ensure that they too get an equitable piece of the pie without incurring loss to traditional livelihoods.

We must pivot now. And we can only do this together.

This , tell us in the comments what changes the Tourism stakeholders ( do mention if you are one!) in Goa need to make to become leaders in the responsible & regenerative tourism space.

Photo -

22/05/2024

It's the International Day of Biodiversity!

The biodiversity of a region like Goa is the key to the longevity of one of its biggest industries - tourism. Tourists flock to this tiny coastal state for its natural beauty, local cuisine and more.

As a tourist (or resident), making informed choices about the least harmful ways of enjoying your time here is a powerful way for you to help protect Goa's biodiversity.

Protecting biodiversity ensures preservation of the cultural heritage of a region as well as it is intrinsically linked to survival of its traditional livelihoods, cuisine, festivals and traditions.

It's also key to maintaining healthy ecosystems which provide life sustaining ecosystem services to humans and other species too.

Everyday, new species are still being discovered by scientists, especially in the Western Ghats and in marine ecosystems.

when you visit Goa !

Photo 1 - Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin by
Photo 2 - Smooth Coated Otter by
Photo 3 & 5 - Burgundy Sea Anemone & Zooanthids by