7 new things to do in Ojai, like roam in an oasis of giant tortoises
First, let’s get this straight: All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. The Turtle Conservancy, a 90-acre property on the outskirts of Ojai, is dedicated to the protection and proliferation of these creatures worldwide. The nonprofit organization was founded by Eric Goode and Maurice Rodrigues in 2005. The Ojai site is not open to the public. But members of the conservancy and guests at the Ojai Valley Inn and just-opened Hotel El Roblar can book tours for a fee. And those tours can be fascinating. “We’re now at 48 different species and more than 500 turtles on site,” Education director Manci Rasmussen told four of us one recent morning. As we roamed the tree-shaded property, Rasmussen explained how some turtle species can vocalize beyond human hearing range, see beyond the human spectrum, pause their pregnancies until their health is better, live 190-plus years and last a year without food or water. Yet thanks to human habits, many species are endangered. We also learned firsthand that radiated tortoises like shell rubs. Before the …


