Indonesia: Five giant leatherbacks lay clutches of eggs in Raja Ampat

Antara 1 May 19;

Waisai (ANTARA) - Five giant leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) had reportedly laid clutches of eggs in Yenbekaki Village in Raja Ampat District, West Papua Province, in April 2019.

Yenbekaki Conservationist Group Chairman Yusuf Mayor remarked here on Wednesday that Warebar Beach in Yenbekaki Village has become the preferred spot for leatherback turtles to lay their clutches of eggs during the year.

Mayor confirmed that five leatherback turtles had surfaced, prepared their nesting sites, and laid their clutches of eggs at Warebar Beach in April this year, with their nests presently reach five.

Some conservationists in Yenbekaki Village are standing guard to protect the nesting sites of those leatherback turtles from any form of attack or disturbance from predators and humans.

The village conservationists will tend to the leatherback turtle hatchlings for a two-week period to ensure the hatchlings have adequate strength to stave off predatory attacks while approaching the sea.

Mayor elaborated that in 2018, the Yenbekaki Conservationist Group had also undertaken conservation efforts for 31 female leatherback turtles that had landed and laid their clutches of eggs in the village.

"We have found that 31 leatherback turtles had landed and laid their eggs in Warebar during 2018. Those turtles had laid 3,706 eggs, of which a thousand were damaged, while 2,706 hatchlings of eggs were released into the sea," he revealed.

Leatherback turtles are the largest sea turtle species in the world and the only surviving member of the Family Dermochelyidae. Leatherback turtles can swim up to 35 kilometers per hour, with their ecosystem spread across the world's oceans.

Reporter: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Editor: Bambang Purwanto