malaysian naturalist, june 2014
THE HATCHLINGS' flippers are thumping hard against each other and the polystyrene foam container in which they are being held. It’s their instinct kicking in, and the baby turtles, hatched just a few hours previously, seem ready to skitter across the sand and dive into the surf to begin their cycle of life. Swimming away from the beach where they were born, they will face the struggles of life in the wild, and if they survive, the females will return to this very beach some 30 years in the future to lay their eggs.
As they are released on this beach on the island of Tioman, the scores of hatchlings are testament to efforts by sanctuaries such as the Juara Turtle Project (JTP) to protect these sea-dwelling chelonians and ensure that the cycle of life continues.
Beginning with awareness on minimal disruption to nesting mothers and the collection of eggs to be reburied at the hatchery instead of being eaten or sold, to protection from natural predators such as snakes and monitor lizards, it gives turtles the head start they need to survive and thus plump up their dwindling numbers.
It’s a common story all over the world. Where once thousands of turtles could be found nesting on various beaches, a perfect storm of development, overfishing, consumption and general apathy has led to their numbers plummeting. In many places, only historical anecdotes remain of these reptiles, lumbering on land but infinitely graceful in the water, coming ashore to lay their eggs.
In the village of Juara, on the side of the island facing the South China Sea, the number of nesting turtles each year is far from what it was even a decade ago. Significantly, though, it is one of only a handful of nesting sites for Green and Hawksbill turtles remaining throughout Tioman. Data gathered by JTP shows that in 2012, there were 44 nesting occurrences on Juara’s Mentawak beach, compared with 195 in 2006, with a total of 4,276 eggs hatched (15,260 in 2006).
It is clear that the turtles need all the help they can get, and this is where JTP comes in. Started as a government hatchery in 2001 on a five-year programme, it was continued as a privately funded entity in 2006. Concentrating on data collection and creating awareness about the need for conservation, JTP has worked with the locals, authorities and experts on the best methods and techniques to protect these reptiles that can be traced back to the age of the dinosaurs.
Central to its efforts are people like Charles Fisher, JTP’s director and operations manager, and marine biologist Nur Izzati Roslan, along with seasonal staff and volunteers. The visitor centre opens daily from 10am to 5pm, but there is no clocking out when it comes to spotting nesting turtles, collecting their eggs for the hatchery and releasing the babies as soon as they are hatched.
Further, it’s an ongoing task to balance conservation and development. Mentawak is a populated area, with plenty of homes and resorts along the shore catching the best of the views and beach access. And where there is human population, there are bright lights, which discourage nesting mothers and disorient hatchlings in their instinctive trek towards the sea. JTP’s solution is to promote the use of minimally invasive yellow lights on the beachfront, while signage lets people know that they are on nesting beaches, encouraging them to tread lightly and reduce noise levels.
Then there’s the age-old tradition of turtle egg consumption. While the practice is still very much legal in Malaysia, it is only through awareness that this trade can be curtailed and consumers urged to give up this delicacy for the sake of the turtles’ future and for other economic considerations, such as tourism dollars. In Juara, the locals are coming around to the idea of conservation, helping to collect eggs for the hatchery and supporting JTP’s activities, showing that the sanctuary is on the right track. And who knows, there might come a day when, as in JTP’s vision of an ideal future, the hatchery can be eliminated completely and turtles can nest naturally and without fear.
“Right now, Kampung Juara is Tioman’s best chance of saving a beach where sea turtles and people can exist together. There are valuable environmental and economic implications that may be worth taking into consideration for developing the future of Tioman,” Fisher says.
Back on the beach, the gathered crowd made up of volunteers, tourists and locals alike are excited to see the hatchlings go. They coo, take pictures and ooh and aah at the cute little creatures that they have been so privileged to see. It’s a rare occasion that is getting rarer by the day, and as the baby turtles scrabble along the sand to begin life in the deep blue sea, we can only hope that each small action taken by these conservationists will mean that future generations might see turtles in real life rather than just reading about them in books.
As they are released on this beach on the island of Tioman, the scores of hatchlings are testament to efforts by sanctuaries such as the Juara Turtle Project (JTP) to protect these sea-dwelling chelonians and ensure that the cycle of life continues.
Beginning with awareness on minimal disruption to nesting mothers and the collection of eggs to be reburied at the hatchery instead of being eaten or sold, to protection from natural predators such as snakes and monitor lizards, it gives turtles the head start they need to survive and thus plump up their dwindling numbers.
It’s a common story all over the world. Where once thousands of turtles could be found nesting on various beaches, a perfect storm of development, overfishing, consumption and general apathy has led to their numbers plummeting. In many places, only historical anecdotes remain of these reptiles, lumbering on land but infinitely graceful in the water, coming ashore to lay their eggs.
In the village of Juara, on the side of the island facing the South China Sea, the number of nesting turtles each year is far from what it was even a decade ago. Significantly, though, it is one of only a handful of nesting sites for Green and Hawksbill turtles remaining throughout Tioman. Data gathered by JTP shows that in 2012, there were 44 nesting occurrences on Juara’s Mentawak beach, compared with 195 in 2006, with a total of 4,276 eggs hatched (15,260 in 2006).
It is clear that the turtles need all the help they can get, and this is where JTP comes in. Started as a government hatchery in 2001 on a five-year programme, it was continued as a privately funded entity in 2006. Concentrating on data collection and creating awareness about the need for conservation, JTP has worked with the locals, authorities and experts on the best methods and techniques to protect these reptiles that can be traced back to the age of the dinosaurs.
Central to its efforts are people like Charles Fisher, JTP’s director and operations manager, and marine biologist Nur Izzati Roslan, along with seasonal staff and volunteers. The visitor centre opens daily from 10am to 5pm, but there is no clocking out when it comes to spotting nesting turtles, collecting their eggs for the hatchery and releasing the babies as soon as they are hatched.
Further, it’s an ongoing task to balance conservation and development. Mentawak is a populated area, with plenty of homes and resorts along the shore catching the best of the views and beach access. And where there is human population, there are bright lights, which discourage nesting mothers and disorient hatchlings in their instinctive trek towards the sea. JTP’s solution is to promote the use of minimally invasive yellow lights on the beachfront, while signage lets people know that they are on nesting beaches, encouraging them to tread lightly and reduce noise levels.
Then there’s the age-old tradition of turtle egg consumption. While the practice is still very much legal in Malaysia, it is only through awareness that this trade can be curtailed and consumers urged to give up this delicacy for the sake of the turtles’ future and for other economic considerations, such as tourism dollars. In Juara, the locals are coming around to the idea of conservation, helping to collect eggs for the hatchery and supporting JTP’s activities, showing that the sanctuary is on the right track. And who knows, there might come a day when, as in JTP’s vision of an ideal future, the hatchery can be eliminated completely and turtles can nest naturally and without fear.
“Right now, Kampung Juara is Tioman’s best chance of saving a beach where sea turtles and people can exist together. There are valuable environmental and economic implications that may be worth taking into consideration for developing the future of Tioman,” Fisher says.
Back on the beach, the gathered crowd made up of volunteers, tourists and locals alike are excited to see the hatchlings go. They coo, take pictures and ooh and aah at the cute little creatures that they have been so privileged to see. It’s a rare occasion that is getting rarer by the day, and as the baby turtles scrabble along the sand to begin life in the deep blue sea, we can only hope that each small action taken by these conservationists will mean that future generations might see turtles in real life rather than just reading about them in books.