Mother Sea Turtle laying eggs at Monica Bay, Malaysia, Part 1
Part 2 video at • Mother Sea Turtle laying eggs at Monica Ba... This happened at Teluk Mak Nik (Monica Bay), Malaysia on 10 Aug 2016 22:23 This activity is also organized by Pak Su, started at 9pm, visitors are patiently waiting outside the Monica Bay. There are rangers stay at the beach to observe whether there are turtles come on shore to dig hole. Turtle egg collectors or “Rangers” who recognized and authorised by the department of fisheries are only allowed to be there and they will tell the nature guides if there is a turtle landing and nature guide will call the visitors go to the beach to see the turtle. This is to avoid too many visitors go to the beach at one time and preventing them disturb the turtle and its habitat. After Pak Su confirm the on shore turtle is going to lay eggs, which is after the turtle dig the egg chamber, he guide us to the spot, we are very lucky as we only need to walk about 200 meters to reach to the spot. Sometime the spot could be 2-3 kilometers from the waiting spot. The turtle of that night is about 20 years old and 70-80kg had laid 70 eggs. Visitors are disallowed to switch on any lights or stand in front of the turtle, as the turtle could feel the dangers and abort the process and leave the beach. When the turtle start laying eggs, the rangers will use their torch to light up the egg chamber area so we can see the lay egg process. The whole process took 15 minutes so we were grouped in 10 people and take turn to watch it. Two or three eggs dropped out at a time, with mucus being secreted throughout egg-laying. Nesting sea turtle appear to shed tears, but the turtle is just secreting salt that accumulates in her body. The turtle will take a rest after laying eggs, the rangers will collect the eggs and then Pak Su will put them in the hatchery. Usually the visitors will stay until the turtle go back to ocean, but because it was raining that day so we left early. Facts about Laying eggs:- 1. While a female turtle has located the nesting beach, waits until night-time in waters close to the shore. Female turtles nest a night because it is cooler and in the darkness they are less conspicuous to large predators. 2. Even after dark, the female turtle constantly durveys the beach for danger whilst she carwls to the dry sand above the hightide mark. At this stage of the nesting process, female turtles are easily scared away by bright lights and large moving objects. Once she sound a suitable site she uses her frong flippers in a swilling motion to scape a large "body pit". She then carefully digs a precisely shape "egg chamber" withe her dexterous rear flippers. Normally, an average the nests about 60cm deep. 3. Depending on the species, female turtle lay about 100-120 eggs per nest. The eggs of most species are about the same size and as a ping pong ball. Turtle eggs haa a soft shell and are not damaged as they drop in to the nest. Female turtles do not care for their young in the nest and the eggs are left to be incubated by the heat of the surrounding sand. 4. Once egg laying is completed, she fills in the egg chamber with her hind flippers. Then seh disguises the exact location of the nest by throwing san behind her with her front flipppers, whilest gradually moving forward. The whole process of nesting can take as long as 3 hoiurs, after which the femail turtle returns to the ocean. Videos of Turtle Hatchlings:- First video at • Baby Turtles Hatching 1 Second video at • Baby Turtles Hatching 2 Third video at • Baby Turtles Hatching 3 Fourth video at • Baby Turtles Hatching 4 Fifth video at • Baby Turtles Hatching 5 Videos of releasing the turtles:- First video at • Release baby sea turtles to the sea, Part 1 Second video at • Release baby sea turtles to the sea, Part 2
