Leatherback turtle found nesting on Karon Beach in Phuket, first time in 20 years.
A leatherback turtle was found nesting on Karon Beach in Phuket Province. The entire province is happy to hear the news as this is the first leatherback turtle nesting on the beach in 20 years. The turtle was spotted laying eggs and related officials were notified right away. The area was cornered off to protect the nest from waves and other elements. Suthep Juelaong from the Phuket Marina Biological Center received notification from an employee at Centara Grand Resort Phuket. The employee spotted a giant leatherback turtle coming onto the beach and nesting in front of the resort.
Officials from the Center went to the beach right away. Related officials joined and went to witness the amazing event. They helped dig holes in the sand on the beach for the leatherback turtle to lay eggs in and to protect the waves from reaching the eggs. The turtle is about 300 kilograms. There were marks on the sand showing the turtle coming up from the beach and searching for the right spot to nest. There were 3 holes but only 1 hole had eggs inside. A rope was placed around the nest. Officials inspected the nest to count the number of eggs. The eggs will be moved to the center, where experts will make sure they are safe until the eggs hatch.
For leatherback turtles, incubation periods are around 60 days. Once the turtles hatch, they are usually ready to live in the ocean right away. In wildlife, on average 1 out of 10 eggs will die from other animals in the area. Then only 25% make it after the first week. The number decreases to 6% after a year in the wild. This is why marine centers have to step in and help take care of the turtles to make sure they are healthy and can survive in the wild. The nest is about 75 centimeters deep with about 60-110 eggs. Females lay eggs every 3-4 years and older turtles lay more eggs.
FB Caption: This is the first time in 20 years a leatherback turtle was found nesting on Karon Beach.
Source: Khaosod
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