Hawksbill turtle tagged in Malacca

Allison Lai, The Star 29 Aug 08;

MALACCA: A week-long stakeout has paid off for the World Wide Fund (WWF) Malaysia. At about midnight on Aug 13, a Hawksbill turtle appeared at the Terendak Camp beach in Sungai Udang here.

The turtle took half an hour to lay her eggs. Then she was tagged.

Weighing 42kg and having a 71cm shell, the turtle made her way back to the open sea three hours later.

WWF Malaysia project team leader Lau Min Min said it was the third tagging of a satellite transmitter on a Hawksbill turtle since July 29 and Aug 3.

WWF is researching the migration patterns of the Hawksbill turtle along the Straits of Malacca with data gathered to be used to better protect the critically-listed endangered species.

“They undertake a long journey every few years to the beaches here to complete their reproductive cycle,” said Lau.

Last year, two Hawksbill turtles, Puteri Tanjung Dahan and Puteri Pulau Upeh, named after their nesting homes, were tracked by satellite all the way to Singapore and the Riau Archipelago.

“Terendak Camp and Pulau Upeh were chosen as deployment sites because these nesting grounds support two of the largest nesting populations of Hawksbill turtle in peninsular Malaysia with an average of over 300 nestings recorded each year,” said Lau, adding that the next largest nesting ground is Sabah’s Turtle Islands.

“As the Hawksbill’s marine home extends beyond Malaysian territorial waters, regional co-operation and partnership is an important factor in saving these ancient mariners,” she said.

D. Arvind, researcher of the Conservation of Hawksbill Turtles and Painted Terrapins Programme, said officers were pleasantly surprised to discover that the turtle they recovered had previously nested along the Malacca beaches.

“We were a little concerned as our team did not spot any turtles for the first few nights,” he said, adding that the eggs were retrieved and hatched at the Padang Kamunting Hawksbill Turtle Hatchery Centre in Alor Gajah.

Links to more

Satellite tracking of Hawksbill turtles
on the WWF website