A leatherback sea turtle has laid an additional 125 eggs on a beach in the Thai Mueang district, just ten days after the discovery of another turtle nest along the same stretch of beach. The stretch of beaches, reaching 30 kilometres north along the Phang Nga coastline, is just north of Phuket’s Sarasin Bridge.
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) says that on Monday, December 18, they received notification from local residents in Baan Bor Kuan, Na Tei, about the presence of a turtle visiting the beach. Marine workers then found evidence of a sea turtle laying eggs on Tha Sai Beach.
After a short search, the DMCR located the leatherback sea turtle nest containing 125 eggs – 91 of them confirmed as fertile. To safeguard the eggs from potential harm by animals or people, a temporary net has been placed around the nest – a standard procedure these days to protect turtle nests from wildlife or human activities.
Just ten days before this discovery, another leatherback sea turtle laid 118 eggs on a beach in the Tai Mueang district.
Staff members from Khao Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang National Park reported that on Friday, December 8, they found a sea turtle nest on a beach within the national park area. A total of 118 leatherback sea turtle eggs were discovered in the nest, with 84 confirmed as fertile. As a precaution, the eggs were relocated to a safer area on the beach, away from the reach of incoming tides and wildlife.
With the standard incubation period it is anticipated that baby leatherback sea turtles will hatch in approximately 60 days, around February, 2024.
ORIGINAL STORY: The Phuket Express
