Seiko takes us beyond the watch and into the water, where time, conservation and the future of Australia’s sea turtles come together in a truly meaningful way.
Seiko’s connection to the ocean has always been a major part of the brand’s identity, especially through the Prospex dive watches and ongoing conservation activities. Here, in Australia, Seiko has done a lot of meaningful work in this space by not only creating several limited-edition timepieces dedicated to ocean conservation, but also building partnerships that support real-world environmental efforts.
This year, Seiko Australia brought that connection to life in a very special way, taking media and guests to Cairns and Fitzroy Island to experience the Incredible turtle conservation work being carried out by Jennie Gilbert and the team at Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. Across two very memorable days, the trip combined beautiful watches, conservation, education, adventure, and epic scenery.
Day 1: Cairns, Conservation And The Start Of The Journey
As we arrived in Cairns, the weather turned out to be a little gloomy, but that was not about to upset the mood for what would be an incredible few days ahead. This trip had a lot of firsts for me. It was my first time in Cairns, my first time visiting Fitzroy Island and also my first time going snorkelling. To say that I was excited would be an understatement.
I met up with the rest of the Seiko team who had flown in from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, along with media attendees from different states across Australia. As we exchanged pleasantries, a bus arrived at the airport terminal to take us to our hotel stay in Cairns. I enjoyed the scenery of Cairns on the way through, as it felt like a much quieter and greener city, especially compared to my hometown of Brisbane!
The hotel we were staying at was Crystalbrook Riley, a stunning property with beautiful views that stretched out towards the mountains in the background. Before we checked in, however, we all gathered together as Dan Findlay gave us an outline of the day’s activities.
But before any of the activities began, it was time for us to get some energy and fuel in, with a specially curated lunch at Papercrane Poolside at Crystalbrook Riley for all the guests of the Cairns Media Famil 2026. After the delicious meal, we set out on our first trip, a short walk across town to Cairns Aquarium, where we would meet a very special guest. This was someone who would play a vital role during our time in Cairns and Fitzroy Island, educating us about turtle conservation and the important work being done in the region.
Inside Cairns Aquarium And The Turtle Hospital
As we made our way into Cairns Aquarium, we were greeted by Jennie Gilbert, founder of the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. Jennie is a qualified veterinary nurse, veterinary technologist, zoologist and marine biologist, and has spent more than two decades helping sick and injured sea turtles recover.
She worked with Paul Barnes to establish the CTRC in 2000, with the centre operating as a not-for-profit, volunteer-driven organisation. It relies heavily on supporters, donations and volunteers to continue its rescue, rehabilitation, research and release work. The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is vital for turtle conservation in Northern Queensland, with the centre having already rescued more than 300 turtles across four different species, nursing many of them back to health before releasing them back into the Great Barrier Reef.
With the introductions out of the way, we made our way into the aquarium. Before the guided tour could begin, however, we were all ushered into a room where Jennie gave us a presentation on the background of the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, the different species of turtles, the threats they face, along with the various rescues and important work she and her team are carrying out. Under Jennie’s work, the centre’s rehabilitation success rate has reportedly grown from around 30% to 90%, making it one of the strongest turtle rehabilitation outcomes in Australia.
Meeting Kame: The Living Symbol Of Seiko’s Ocean Conservation Efforts
After the presentation, Jennie then took us on a tour of the Turtle Hospital within Cairns Aquarium, which is an extension of the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. The facility gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at turtle rehabilitation, showing how sick or injured turtles are cared for before being released back into the wild. The Turtle Hospital focuses on rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, release and tracking, rather than simply keeping the turtles in care permanently.
There were three turtles currently in care at the Turtle Hospital, with one of them being the very special ‘Kame’ Turtle. Now if you might remember, WatchAdvice and Seiko teamed up last year to host an event in Brisbane to unveil the stunning Seiko Prospex Sea ‘Kame’ SRPM04K 2025 Australian Exclusive Limited Edition. This, as the name suggests, was inspired by the ‘Kame’ turtle, along with the beautiful dial depicting the surrounding waters of Fitzroy Island.
A little bit of background on the Kame turtle: Kame is a rehabilitated turtle adopted by Seiko Australia through its partnership with the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. It was given the name “Kame”, which literally translates to turtle in Japanese, making it a simple but meaningful connection between Seiko’s Japanese heritage and the turtle conservation work being supported in Australia.
What makes this even more special is that Kame gives the partnership between Seiko and the CTRC a very real face, sending an important message that this is not just another watch release or partnership. Kame represents the real turtles being cared for by Jennie Gilbert and the team at the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, which makes Seiko’s connection to the cause feel even more purpose-driven.
After spending some time learning about the turtles and the various care being given to each individual turtle at the hospital, we were then taken on a guided tour of Cairns Aquarium. This ranged from seeing different types of fish and sea life to snakes and even sharks. It was quite special walking through the glass tunnel as the sharks swam right above us!
We then had a bit of downtime, which we used to check in to the hotel and get ready for dinner. Seiko organised a private dinner at Rocco Restaurant in Crystalbrook Riley, a pleasant space with almost 360-degree views of Cairns! After sharing conversations between guests about the activities throughout the day, we then headed to a local pub to watch the second game of State of Origin. Being a Queensland supporter myself, it rounded off a memorable day perfectly, watching the team win.
Day 2: Fitzroy Island And The Heart Of Turtle Conservation
The next day we had an early start as we made our way to the Cairns Marina to catch a ferry to Fitzroy Island. Here we were greeted by Jennie Gilbert once again, as she would join us for the remainder of this Cairns Media Famil 2026 trip. As we waited for the Ferry to get up and running, I had some time to spend with the Seiko Prospex “Great Blue” PADI SRPK01 Special Edition.
This watch features the same case design as other Prospex Sea “Turtle”-inspired models, and is created as a PADI, or Professional Association of Diving Instructors, special edition timepiece. The turtle-shaped 45mm case may seem large at first, but as you can see on my wrist, the watch sits perfectly, and this is all thanks to the short 47.7mm lug-to-lug distance.
What I personally love about this watch is the deep blue dial. The top part of the dial is engraved with an image of ocean water, which only really becomes evident once you start turning the watch under light. Another cool feature is the sunburst effect. Normally, this effect would emanate from the centre of the dial; however, Seiko has cleverly started the sunburst effect from the 12 o’clock position, which, under different lighting angles, almost looks like a searchlight shining from the water’s surface down into the depths below!
Fitzroy Island: A Reefside Home For Turtle Rehabilitation
As we made our way to Fitzroy Island, the journey across was a scenic one! While the weather was a bit gloomy, resulting in a bumpy ride, luckily no one threw up! It soon cleared as we approached Fitzroy Island. As we got closer, it reminded me of that scene from the early Jurassic Park movies when they were approaching the island, and I was in awe.
Fitzroy Island is known for its rainforests, beaches and fringing reef, with the island itself surrounded by reef that forms part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The only hotel and resort on the island is Fitzroy Island Resort.
After we made it to Fitzroy Island Resort and dropped off our luggage, Jennie Gilbert and Sera guided us to the turtle conservation facility located on the island. It was a pleasant walk through Fitzroy Island, and with the weather clearing up, it really brought out the beauty of the island and the stunning waters surrounding it.
Inside The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre On Fitzroy Island
The Fitzroy Island facility officially opened in 2013, after the original Cairns facility became too small to manage the growing number of sick and injured turtles being brought in for care. This need became even more urgent following the 2010 floods and Cyclone Yasi in 2011, which led to a major increase in turtles needing rehabilitation. Hearing this from Jennie before walking through the facility really put into perspective why it exists, and how important it has become for turtle conservation in the region.
A big reason Fitzroy Island makes so much sense is its location. Sick and injured turtles are brought in from the Great Barrier Reef and Cape York Peninsula, and Fitzroy Island sits close enough to Cairns while still being surrounded by reef habitat. This gives the centre a practical reef-side location, with access to transport, volunteers, visitors and the wider support network needed to keep the facility running.
As we made our way inside the facility, there were a couple of volunteers already attending to two turtles. As Jennie and Sera explained throughout the visit, the turtles require care and rehabilitation before being released back into the ocean. One of the turtles had part of its shell bitten off by a shark, while the other had been involved in a collision with a boat, which meant that one of its rudders had to be amputated. The work Jennie and her team are doing includes rehabilitation to help turtles regain strength, adapt, and eventually swim properly again before returning to the wild.
After visiting the facility, we headed back to the resort for lunch and to get settled in. Seiko once again organised a beautiful arrangement of food platters, and honestly, combined with the view of Fitzroy Island and the open ocean waters, it made for a very calming and peaceful setting.
Snorkelling With The Turtles: A Moment To Remember
While the lunch and the view were amazing, this next part was arguably the highlight for me. We all got into our snorkelling gear and headed down to the beach. Sera took over from Jennie for this part of the trip, and she suggested we move further down the beach to a more secluded area, giving us that part of the beach to ourselves. It turned out to be a great call, because we had the waters all to ourselves to explore!
Now, mind you, I had never been snorkelling before, so I received a crash course on what not to do, especially if we encountered turtles in the water. As you can see here, I wore the Seiko Prospex “Great Blue” PADI edition for the snorkelling session, giving me the chance to properly test the watch out in the water, especially its dial readability!
As we made our way into the water, seeing coral for the first time was another memorable moment. While it was not as lively or colourful as some of the coral you see in pictures of the Great Barrier Reef, it still felt amazing to swim above it and explore this part of Fitzroy Island.
I swam for a little while and did not have much luck spotting any turtles, that is, until Shane from the Seiko team spotted one and ushered us nearby snorkellers over for a closer look. Once I got there, I have to say, it was a surreal experience. I was about two to three metres from the turtle, but to be able to swim alongside it felt incredibly special. After spending the trip learning about the rescue and rehabilitation work being done by Jennie and her team, seeing a turtle moving so calmly through the water brought everything full circle.
After another memorable experience, we made our way back to Fitzroy Island Resort and checked into our rooms. This gave everyone a few hours of downtime to settle in, freshen up and take in the surroundings after what had already been a very special day.
Dinner, Drinks And A Lasting Impression
The Seiko Australia team had organised a special drinks and dinner event at the resort, and as we made our way into the Welcome Bay Room of the resort for the festivities, we were shown some of the latest dive models from Seiko’s Prospex collection, which included models such as the Prospex GMT in green and blue (shown above) and the Prospex 145th Anniversary Limited Edition models.
Seiko also had the PADI 60th Anniversary Limited Edition on show, a new Prospex diver that celebrates both PADI’s 60th anniversary and Seiko’s 10-year partnership with the organisation. The watch features a beautiful blue dial which is inspired by the PADI 60th anniversary logo, with red accents at 6 o’clock and on the seconds hand, along with the globe motif across the dial.
Personally, my favourite model that was on show was the latest Prospex Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Diver’s Watch JAMSTEC Limited Edition. Created in collaboration with the Japan Agency for Marine-Eart Science and Technology, this timepiece features one of the best dials I’ve seen on a Prospex model in a while, with a vertically oriented blue gradient dial and a textured finish that imagines “the trail left by an icebreaker moving through the sea ice”, a direct nod to JAMSTEC’s Arctic Research Program and its new icebreaking research vessel, Mirai II.
The evening rounded off with dinner, where we had the chance to reflect on everything that we had experienced over the past two days. It was also a special moment for Jennie Gilbert and her team, as Seiko Australia presented the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre with a $25,000 cheque to continue supporting the important work they do in turtle conservation. After seeing the care, dedication and passion behind the centre firsthand, it was indeed a fitting way to close out what had been an incredibly meaningful trip.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I have to say that this was an amazing trip, and one that I think everyone who came along on this journey walked away from with a much deeper understanding of the turtle conservation work being carried out in Cairns and Fitzroy Island. While Jennie Gilbert spoke about much of the turtle rehabilitation work during last year’s Seiko x WatchAdvice event, it is a completely different experience when you are there in person, seeing the facilities, hearing the stories and understanding the challenges that Jennie and her team continue to face.
What also made this trip special was how Seiko connected the experience back to the watches themselves. From the Seiko Prospex “Kame” Limited Edition to the Prospex “Great Blue” PADI Special Edition, these watches will now always have a memory attached to them, which simply makes them more than just another timepiece in the collection. Every time I look at them, I will be reminded of Cairns, Fitzroy Island, snorkelling alongside the turtles and the incredible work being done behind the scenes.
To say that I am grateful to Seiko Australia for being part of this journey would be an understatement. It was a trip that combined watches, conservation and adventure in a way that felt genuinely special. Hopefully, we get to go back again one day!