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The leatherback giant settles on the beach north of Phuket early today

Leatherback Delight as Huge Turtle Lays Eggs

Monday, December 3, 2012
Leatherback Laying Photo Album Above

PHUKET: A huge rare leatherback turtle deposited a clutch of eggs in the sand at a beach north of Phuket early today, delighting those who were there to see it.

Mother Nature, it seems, has not given up on Greater Phuket yet.

The turtle chose the same stretch at Thai Muang, a town about 40 kilometres from Phuket, where a boatload of Rohingya boys and men beached about a fortnight ago to be taken into custody.

The turtle eggs will have a better chance at freedom.

The Director of the Khao Lumpee Thai Muang National Park, Witoon Deatpramonpon, said today: ''We are very pleased to see a leatherback again. They are very, very rare.''

Khun Witoon said that the female was 2.25 metres long and 1.10 metres wide, weighed 300 kilos and was probably more than 50 years old. Leatherbacks are the largest of turtles.

While fishing nets and propellers have killed or maimed an increasing number of smaller green turtles, dolphins and dugongs, this old girl seems whole and healthy.

Rangers at the park along the beach keep watch through the night because this is the laying season for leatherbacks.

But there hasn't been one sighted on the beach since March, 2010. Rangers have already checked the eggs and believe 99 of them have been fertilised.

Although there's a turtle sanctuary right on the beach road nearby, caring for leatherbacks is a difficult proposition.

The young leatherback hatchlings, unlike young green turtles, go straight and cannot turn, so if kept in a pool they will bang into the side until they die.

The instinct, though, may mean they head out to sea as rapidly as possible and escape the nets and the propellers.

It will take 60 days from now for the rangers to know how many of the eggs will produce healthy young turtles. The rest will be up to them, and Mother Nature.

Comments

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Well done, I hope they take care the eggs and small Baby Turtles good and hopefully some come back and lay eggs again. :-)

Posted by Alfred on December 3, 2012 17:34

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Why did they have to dig up the eggs and put them in a bucket? I think the turtle knows how to lay eggs and leave them undisturbed. It would not surprise me if the little fellas dont survive. Look with your eyes humans and leave the eggs alone please?

Posted by Robin on December 3, 2012 17:52

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What a wonderful day for Phuket, and how nice to read some good news for a change. Yay!!!!

Posted by Dee on December 3, 2012 18:30

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Hi, do you have a contact number for the park please or for Witoon Deatpramonpon?

Posted by Happy Farang on December 3, 2012 18:31

Editor Comment:

We do, but the comment box is probably not the place to give it to you. Why do you want it?

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Dee

A wonderful day for Phang Nga you mean. Thai Muang is approimaltely an hours drive north from Phuket. I also wonder why they have to dig up th eggs? I have a distinct feeling the rangers digging up eggs are not experts at all. How about just leave the turtle alone and not come in with flood lights and camera crews? How about denying access to the beach and make it strictly forbidden to go near a turtle laying eggs?

Posted by christian on December 3, 2012 20:37

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The park's number will be ok, surely that is public information.

Posted by Happy Farang on December 3, 2012 23:10

Editor Comment:

We don't have the park number.

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Turtle egg soup,anyone?
Really should have that light off.

Posted by CBF on December 3, 2012 23:57

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Great news but she probably won't come back to this beach again for another 2 years - everyone knows you don't stand in front of a female turtle on the beach as this only stresses her out. In the Seychelles which has the best track record of turtle hatching they leave the eggs in the sand as nature intended but do guard the eggs whilst they are on the beach - why cant we do the same ??

Posted by Benjamin on December 4, 2012 01:21

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Great news and if you are lucky enough to see a turtle want to come ashore what should you do ?? When a turtle comes ashore to nest she will check if it is safe, because she is extremely vulnerable on shore. As she swims closer she sticks her head up high above the water (a bit like a submarine periscope) and surveys the area for risks - if you see her do this and you are on her beach you need to get out of her line of sight!

If she sees you she will not come ashore but wait until you have gone, so if you want to see her you must get out her line of sight by bending down on one knee and remain motionless and quiet.

Resist the temptation of rushing over to see her, because this will only frighten her back into the sea. You need to be very patient.

After finding a location for her nest, well above the high-water mark, she will start to dig. When she has almost finished you can slowly and silently move towards her (always keeping out of her line of sight). Keep a respectful distance and remain silent while she covers her nest - at this point you can start taking photos, but no flash!

After covering her eggs she will make her way back to the ocean. It is important to leave her alone and not get between her and the water - there is no reason to stress her more

Posted by Benjamin on December 4, 2012 01:36

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Can someone confirm that the turtles always return to the beach where they were born?? In which case they will be completely disorientated as they will be born away from their beach so how will they survive - what is the solution to the problem of them going straight :
"The young leatherback hatchlings, unlike young green turtles, go straight and cannot turn, so if kept in a pool they will bang into the side until they die."

Posted by Cindy on December 4, 2012 09:12

Editor Comment:

The turtles have been checked but they're still on the beach and will hatch in 60 days, Cindy.

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Let's hope that they don't end up as a tourist attraction like those in the Mai Khao Turtle Release Program ( check out the video by googling the above program ) - 3000 baht a baby turtle and what a shameful way to start their juvenile life !! Where has all the respect for Mother Nature gone ??

Posted by Sebastian on December 4, 2012 09:30

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Great photos, Nice to see something so rare as that GIANT Turtle. I hope the turtle was not stressed out by all the attention while protecting its eggs.
It does appear that who ever took the photos did not wait until she was done since she is half covered in sand.
Hopefully the Rangers are trained in giving her space until she is done delivering.
Nice Story, Thanks for the good work.

Posted by John on December 4, 2012 11:02

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Hi, can you ask Witoon Deatpramonpon if it is ok to put his number on the comments page or does he have another number he would like to use?

Posted by Happy Farang on December 4, 2012 15:46

Editor Comment:

We'd need a good reason to disclose someone's private mobile number, Happy Farang. Please give us one.

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As stated previously it can be another number, the general Park's number etc. I thought he worked for the government so the people he is serving should have some way to contact him (please don't start with the Thai/Farang serving thing)

Posted by Happy Farang on December 4, 2012 16:44

Editor Comment:

Happy Farang, tell us your mobile number and we'll let Khun Witoon know you have some reason to speak to him.

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Great news concerning the Leatherback turtle which is becoming more endangered each year - not sure about the digging up of the eggs which has been proved to be counter-productive as a reader already pointed out the Seychelles program WHICH DOES NOT REMOVE THE EGGS has the most success rate !!

Posted by Jules on December 4, 2012 18:52

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I am delighted to learn of the important arrival of an egg laying leatherback turtle. I am concerned however to see it surrounded by people, with lights etc etc more than 20 years ago American, Australian experts discoverd that changing lights, bright resort lights and similar were the key reason for the non return of turtles to their traditional egg laying beaches.
No return..no baby turtles..result no more turtles.

Those beaches were not chosen by chance they provided Turtles witth the right beach/sand/sea conditions to allow a return to water rate of more than 60% of babies.
In the USA, Disney after millions spent on research were allowed to build their Vero Beach Florida Resort on a beach popular(with Turtles) provided they set up low level soft lighting, restricted access to the beach after sunset etc.
It is suggested that the Turtles and the young rely only on the positions of the stars/moon to navigate back to their beaches. Changing lights from visitors,cars, hotel developments stop them learning friom the moon and stars.

So whilst I am delighted to see ongoing and well meaning support for the Phuket Turtles from the Islands concerned residents and visitors..please please get up to date and start to consider the realities of what the Turtles need.

Vero Beach in Florida thanks to its ccontrolled but public use is now seeing record numbers of Turtles returning most years.Note Again: It's the low level repeat low level thats both dim light but also low to the ground.No torches in the turtles face and no flash photography..one is too many.

Turtles can return and lay fertile eggs for 30 or 40 years..The posiitive reults may take 10 years but they will come and can then grow dramatically.

Posted by Rod Buckle on December 5, 2012 08:04


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