SEATRU
TIDeS
Sea Turtle Research Unit
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
User Manual · Public Guide

Welcome to TIDeS
Turtle Adoption Guide

Your complete guide to adopting a sea turtle, tracking your turtle's nesting journey, and downloading your adoption certificate, all through TIDeS.

10 min read Beginner friendly English Updated 2025
SEATRU
TIDeS Public User Manual
Open TIDeS
INTRODUCTION
What is TIDeS?

TIDeS (Turtle Imprinting Database System) is the official platform of the Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT). It allows members of the public to adopt a sea turtle nesting at Chagar Hutang Turtle Sanctuary, Pulau Redang one of Malaysia's most important sea turtle nesting beaches.

Through TIDeS, you can adopt a turtle, give it a name, track its nesting activity season by season, view detailed nesting reports, and download your official adoption certificate. Your adoption directly supports field research and conservation efforts at SEATRU.

Your Adoption Journey
Register
Create account
Choose Turtle
Browse pool
Select Package
Individual / Gold
Submit & Pay
Upload proof
Approved
Email notification
Track & Report
Nesting updates
Instant access — Public and Adopter accounts are approved automatically. You can log in immediately after registering. No waiting required.
STEP 01
Create an Account

Before you can adopt a turtle, you need to create a free TIDeS account. Follow these steps to register in under 2 minutes.

1
Go to the TIDeS website
Open your browser and go to conservems.my/tides. You will see the TIDeS login page with an ocean background and the TIDeS logo.
2
Click the "Register" button
On the login page, click the green Register button below the login form. This will open the registration page.
3
Fill in your personal details
Complete the registration form with:
  • First Name & Last Name — your real full name
  • Username — a unique login name (no spaces)
  • Email Address — a valid email (notifications will be sent here)
  • Mobile Number — with country code (e.g. +60 12 345 6789)
  • Address — your full mailing address
  • Password — minimum 8 characters, re-enter to confirm
4
Select your role
When asked for your role, select General or Adopter. Both give you full access to the adoption features and are approved instantly. Do not select Staff, those require manual admin approval.
5
Submit and check your email
Click Register to submit. You will receive a welcome email from infoseatru@conservems.my confirming your account is active. Check your spam folder if you don't see it within a few minutes.
Registration Form
Already have an account? Skip to Step 02 — Login to TIDeS. If you forgot your password, go to Step 10 — Forgot Password.
Username cannot be changed after registration. Choose a username you are comfortable using long-term — it will appear on your adoption records.
STEP 02
Login to TIDeS

Once your account is created, you can log in at any time to manage your adoptions and track your turtle's activity.

1
Visit the TIDeS login page
Go to conservems.my/tides. The login form is on the right side of the page.
2
Enter your username and password
Type your username (not email) and password in the fields provided. Passwords are case-sensitive.
3
Click "Login"
Click the blue Login button. If your credentials are correct, you will be taken to your personal Dashboard.
Registration Form
Tip: There is a short guide video on the bottom-left of the login page titled "How to Adopt a Turtle". Click the thumbnail to watch a step-by-step walkthrough.
Login failed? Make sure you are using your username, not your email address. If you still cannot log in, use the Forgot Password link below the login form.
STEP 03
Your Dashboard

After logging in, you will land on the Dashboard — your personal home page inside TIDeS. Here is what you will see:

A
Weather & Ocean Bar
A slim navy bar at the top showing real-time conditions at Chagar Hutang, temperature, wave height, sea surface temperature, moon phase, sunrise and sunset times. This is updated live from weather APIs.
B
Conservation Stats
Four cards showing: total Green turtle nestings, total Hawksbill nestings, total turtles tracked, and your My Adoptions count. The My Adoptions card links directly to your adopted turtles.
C
Nesting Chart
A bar chart showing turtle nesting records by year going back to 1993. You can switch between Bar and Line view, and filter by specific year to see how that year compares to the previous year.
D
Top Adopter Leaderboard
Shows the top 10 adopters by number of turtles adopted. The top 3 are highlighted with gold, silver and bronze rank badges. Work your way up the leaderboard by adopting more turtles!
Dashboard
Use the left sidebar to navigate between sections. Under ADOPTION you will find My Adoptions and Chagar Hutang, these are the main pages you will use as a public adopter.
STEP 04
Adoption Packages

TIDeS offers four adoption packages — from personal individual adoptions to corporate group adoptions. Choose the package that suits you best.

Individual
RM 150
1 Turtle · Personal
  • Official E-Certificate
  • Nesting E-Reports
  • Name your turtle
  • 10 adoption slots per turtle
  • Best for individuals
Basic
RM 1,500
1 Turtle · Corporate
  • Official E-Certificate
  • Nesting E-Reports
  • Name your turtle
  • Lifetime adoption
  • Corporate recognition
Silver
RM 6,000
5 Turtles · Corporate
  • 5 E-Certificates
  • Nesting E-Reports for all 5
  • Name each turtle
  • SEATRU branding
  • Group adoption
Gold
RM 10,000
10 Turtles · Corporate
  • 10 E-Certificates
  • Nesting E-Reports for all 10
  • Name each turtle
  • SEATRU Research Station branding
  • SDG 14 — Life Below Water
Not sure which package? Start with the Individual (RM 150) package — it's the easiest way to get started and you can always adopt more turtles later. Contact SEATRU if you need help choosing a corporate package.
All packages include an e-certificate and nesting e-reports. Payment proof (bank transfer receipt or online payment screenshot) must be uploaded during the adoption process. Bank details will be provided on the adoption form.
STEP 05
Browse Available Turtles

Before adopting, you can browse the pool of turtles that are currently available for adoption at Chagar Hutang. Each turtle has a unique ID and species information.

1
Go to Chagar Hutang
In the left sidebar, under ADOPTION, click Chagar Hutang. This opens the turtle adoption pool page showing all turtles currently available for adoption.
2
Browse turtle cards
Each turtle is shown as a card with its Turtle ID, species (Green or Hawksbill), and tag numbers. Turtle IDs follow the format: 2010H003 — where 2010 is the year first recorded and H = Hawksbill (G = Green).
3
Search for a specific turtle
Use the search bar at the top to search by Turtle ID if you already have one in mind. The results update as you type.
4
Select your turtle(s)
Click the checkbox on a turtle card to select it. For Silver (5 turtles) or Gold (10 turtles) packages, select the required number of turtles. A selection counter appears at the bottom as you select.
View Turtle
Tip: Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are the most common at Chagar Hutang and tend to have richer nesting histories. Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are rarer and highly sought after.
STEP 06
How to Adopt a Turtle

Once you have selected your turtle(s), follow these steps to complete your adoption.

1
Select your turtle(s) and click "Enable for Adoption"
After selecting your turtle(s) from the pool, click the Enable Selected for Adoption button that appears. A popup will ask you to choose your adoption package.
2
Choose your package
Select from Individual, Basic, Silver, or Gold. Make sure the number of turtles you selected matches the package requirement (e.g. Silver requires exactly 5 turtles).
3
Fill in the adoption form
On the adoption form, fill in:
  • Full Name — as it should appear on the certificate
  • IC / Passport Number — for verification
  • Reference Number — your payment transaction reference
  • Turtle Name — the name you want to give your turtle (optional)
  • Occasion — Birthday, Anniversary, etc. (optional)
4
Upload payment proof
Upload a screenshot or PDF of your bank transfer receipt or online payment confirmation. Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, PDF. Maximum size: 5MB. Bank account details are displayed on the adoption form.
5
Submit your adoption
Click Submit Adoption. Your adoption is now submitted and marked as Pending while SEATRU admin reviews your payment proof. This typically takes 1–3 working days.
6
Wait for approval email
Once your adoption is approved, you will receive a confirmation email from infoseatru@conservems.my with full details of your adopted turtle(s). You can then access your nesting reports and certificate.
Adoption
Important: Make sure your payment reference number matches your actual bank transaction. SEATRU will verify your payment before approving. Contact turtle@umt.edu.my if you need help with payment.
STEP 07
My Adoptions Page

After your adoption is approved, the My Adoptions page becomes your personal hub for managing all your adopted turtles.

1
Access My Adoptions
In the left sidebar, under ADOPTION, click My Adoptions. This page shows all your approved turtle adoptions as cards.
2
View your adopter rank badge
At the top of the page, your personal Adoption Suitability Badge shows your rank among all SEATRU adopters — from Conservation Supporter all the way to Conservation Champion 👑 if you are the top adopter.
3
View each turtle card
Each adopted turtle appears as a card showing its species photo, the name you gave it, and its Turtle ID. From each card you can:
  • Report — view the full nesting report
  • ID Card — view the turtle's identification card
4
Pending adoptions
If you have submitted adoptions that are awaiting admin approval, they appear in a yellow Pending section at the top of the page with a "Awaiting admin approval" status label.
Pending Adoption
STEP 08
Nesting Reports

One of the most exciting features of TIDeS is being able to track your turtle's nesting history in detail. Each time your turtle returns to Chagar Hutang to nest, SEATRU field researchers record the data and it appears in your report.

1
Open the nesting report
From My Adoptions, click the blue Report button on any turtle card. This opens the individual nesting report for that turtle.
2
Understanding the report
The report includes:
  • Turtle Profile — species, tag numbers, shell measurements
  • First Nesting Date — when the turtle was first recorded
  • Last Nesting Date — most recent return to the beach
  • Total Nestings — how many times it has nested in total
  • Total Eggs — estimated total eggs laid over its lifetime
  • Your Turtle's Name — the name you gave it at adoption
3
Group adoption reports
For Silver or Gold package adoptions (5 or 10 turtles), click View All Reports to see a combined report for all turtles in your group adoption on a single page.
Report Adoption
Did you know? Green sea turtles can return to the same beach to nest for over 30 years. Some turtles in the TIDeS database have been recorded since 1993 — over 30 years of data!
STEP 09
My Adoption Certificate

Every approved adoption comes with an official digital certificate from SEATRU. You can download and print it for display or share it with others.

1
Access your certificate
From My Adoptions, click the green My Certificate button at the top of the page. This opens your official adoption certificate in a new tab.
2
Download or print the certificate
The certificate opens in your browser. To save it:
  • Right-click → Save as PDF, OR
  • Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) → Save as PDF
3
What the certificate includes
Your certificate shows: your full name, the turtle's ID and name, your adoption date, the package type, total turtles adopted, and the official SEATRU seal. It is signed off by the SEATRU team.
Certificate
Your certificate is always available online — you can download it again anytime by logging in. It is not sent by email so make sure to save a copy once you access it.
STEP 10
Forgot Password

If you forget your password, you can reset it easily using your registered email address.

1
Go to the login page
Visit conservems.my/tides and click Forgot Password? below the Login button.
2
Enter your registered email
Type the email address you used when registering your account and click Submit.
3
Check your email
You will receive an email from infoseatru@conservems.my with a password reset link. Click the link and enter your new password. The link expires after 1 hour.
Didn't receive the reset email? Check your spam or junk folder. If it's still not there after 5 minutes, contact SEATRU at turtle@umt.edu.my.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I adopt more than one turtle?
Yes! You can adopt multiple turtles. With the Individual package, adopt one at a time. With Silver (5 turtles) or Gold (10 turtles) packages, you can adopt multiple turtles in a single transaction. You can also make multiple Individual adoptions over time.
How long does approval take after I submit my adoption?
SEATRU typically reviews and approves adoptions within 1–3 working days. You will receive an email notification once your adoption is approved. During peak periods it may take slightly longer.
What if my turtle doesn't nest for a long time?
Sea turtles don't nest every year — they typically nest every 2–5 years. Between nesting seasons, your turtle may be out at sea and not recorded. This is completely normal. Your report will show all historical nesting data and will be updated whenever your turtle returns to Chagar Hutang.
Can I give my adopted turtle a name?
Yes! During the adoption form, there is a Turtle Name field where you can give your turtle any name you like. This name will appear in your nesting report and adoption certificate. For group adoptions (Silver/Gold), you can give each turtle a different name.
Can I adopt a turtle as a gift for someone?
Yes! During the adoption form, fill in the recipient's full name in the Full Name field and select an occasion (Birthday, Anniversary, Mother's Day, Wedding Day). The certificate and confirmation email will be personalised with a special greeting. Make sure to use your own TIDeS account to submit.
What payment methods are accepted?
SEATRU accepts bank transfer. The bank account details are shown on the adoption form when you proceed to submit. After making the transfer, upload your receipt/screenshot as the payment proof in the form. Contact turtle@umt.edu.my for other payment arrangements.
Can I get a refund if I change my mind?
Adoption fees go directly towards sea turtle conservation fieldwork and research. Please contact SEATRU at turtle@umt.edu.my or call +60 18-383 4601 to discuss your situation before submitting your adoption.
I cannot log in — what should I do?
First, make sure you are using your username (not email address) to log in. Passwords are case-sensitive. If you still cannot log in, click Forgot Password on the login page to reset your password. If the problem persists, contact SEATRU.
CONTACT
Get in Touch with SEATRU

If you have questions not covered in this manual, or need help with your adoption, the SEATRU team is happy to assist.

SEATRU

Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU)

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu · Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

turtle@umt.edu.my infoseatru@conservems.my +60 18-383 4601 seatru.umt.edu.my Open TIDeS
SEATRU TIDeS

TIDeS — Turtle Imprinting Database System

Public User Manual · Sea Turtle Research Unit (SEATRU) · Universiti Malaysia Terengganu · © 2025