A Bali Tourist Facility Under Renewed Scrutiny
A tourist venue in Bali that markets itself as connected to wildlife conservation has again been found keeping animals in conditions described as severely inadequate. The findings come from a recent visit by conservation photojournalist Aaron Gekoski, who returned to Bali Fantasi Benoa Bay at the request of World Animal Protection Australia to document current conditions and check on a macaque named Johnny held at the site.
What Gekoski found went beyond a single animal. Turtles were being held in shallow, dirty, and overcrowded concrete pools and tanks, positioned just a short distance from the open ocean. Rare birds, reptiles, and a civet were observed in bare enclosures. Johnny, the macaque, appeared visibly thin and was filmed pacing repeatedly inside a small cage and biting at the wire.
Years of Low Scores, Little Change
The problems at Bali Fantasi Benoa Bay are not a recent discovery. World Animal Protection assessed the facility in both 2017 and 2023, awarding it an animal welfare score of 2 out of 10 on each occasion, a rating the organisation classifies as "severely inadequate."
During the 2023 assessment, investigators counted approximately 40 turtles at the site, including critically endangered hawksbill turtles and endangered green turtles. One enclosure of roughly 20 square metres was found to contain 17 turtles. That same investigation covered 34 wildlife tourism venues across Bali and Lombok, where more than 1,300 wild animals were being used at the assessed attractions.
Despite these repeated findings, Bali Fantasi Benoa Bay remains listed as a partner turtle conservation group on the website of BKSDA Bali, the island's official conservation authority. That official association is part of what makes the situation notable: the venue continues to carry a conservation label while receiving the lowest welfare assessments from independent investigators.
The Broader Tourism Context
Bali draws millions of visitors each year, and wildlife encounters have long been woven into the island's tourism offering. Venues that present themselves as conservation-focused can be particularly appealing to travelers who want their trip to feel ethically grounded. The gap between that presentation and what independent investigators have repeatedly documented at Bali Fantasi Benoa Bay illustrates a wider challenge across the region's wildlife tourism sector.
For travelers planning a visit to Bali, the pattern here is worth understanding: official partnerships and conservation branding do not automatically reflect the welfare standards that independent assessments measure.
Why It Matters for Hosts
Independent accommodation operators and tour guides in Bali are often the first point of contact when guests ask for recommendations on wildlife experiences. If a guest later discovers that a venue you suggested has a documented welfare record like this one, it reflects on your property's reputation. Keeping a short, vetted list of wildlife experiences, and being willing to explain why certain popular venues are not on it, is a practical way to differentiate your hosting on ethical grounds. Directing guests toward genuinely accredited sanctuaries or marine conservation programs, rather than commercial wildlife attractions with unverified claims, is a low-cost way to add real value.
This post is published on the Qontaktly travel blog. The details above were first reported by The Animal Reader, written by Prya Bisambhar and published on August 28, 2026.
First reported by theanimalreader.com.