Sea Turtles watching (lay eggs) during night time at the beach of Terengganu

We being bought to the first stop (N4.19112 E103.44248), then got to know that the sea turtles had made a U-Turn back to sea...initially, I thought...'what a disappointment!'...but the 'tour guide' received a phone call and ask all of us go to the second spot (N4.20295 E103.43993) which was about 1.5km away (both were at the same Mak Nik Beach) from the original place.

At the second spot, the 'tour guide' explained about the sea turtles and showed us the turtles hatching area while waiting for the Sea Turtles to comfortly dig the hole...

The sea turtles hatching area at the second spot

Everyone has a experience to touch and hold the baby turtles which just born 2-3 hours ago...

Feel the baby turtle...

The 'tour guide' told us that every egg need to hatch for at least 45 days, and out of One Thousand baby turtles which return back to the sea...ONLY One will survive! Oh! That's One out of A Thousand! And if the surviver is female, it'll be back to this same beach after 25 years...but if it's male, it won't be back for its whole life....

The sea turtles took a long time to dig a big hole for herself and another small hole for the eggs...we were waiting at total dark beach...once the signal given, all of us separate to few groups and take turns to watch the sea turtle laying eggs...

The huge sea turtle was laying eggs...

Everyone was busy taking photos and NO FLASH is allow! Only lights...

But my luck wasn't that good because when I stand closed to the turtle, its started to covered up the small hole...that means its finished laying eggs for the night! OH! I miss the golden chance to snap the laying eggs photos! My goodness!

The turtle covered up the small hole at her back...

Even the turtle finished laying the eggs, everyone still continue to take photos non-stop...

The Sea Turtle at Mak Nik Beach, Chukai - Terengganu

The turtle was huge! It's about 1.5 meter long and 1 meter wide...
As you can notice the 'tears' in its eyes after she finished laying eggs, some said because its upset that going to leave all its baby on the beach....But, Actually...the 'tour guide' said it's because of the 'sea water' and another reason is trying to protect the eyes from sands...That's the true reason! Everyone was laughing after the explaination....Haha!

Can you see the turtle is crying?!

The turtle will going to take some times to cover back the big hole before it get back to the sea...at that time, our tour guide ask all of us line up in one line on the beach where not far away from the mother turtle...

Everyone was given with one or two baby turtles in hand. He said "name your turtles!" And wish the baby turtle 'Good Luck!'  Because in the next moment, we'll be letting all these baby turtles back to the sea! Exciting isn't it? :)

One of the baby turtle...

Everyone line up in one strait line...

All the baby turtles can't see anything on that moment, because they just born 2-3 hours ago, but they will 'follow the light'. Therfore, one of the assistant of the tour guide was light up a Spot Light from the sea direction....
1, 2, 3! Everyone started to let go the baby turtles!

All the baby turtles ran Very Fast towards the light, yeah...to the sea! ...back home...
We got to be Very careful to see front and back by avoiding to step on them! Because its everywhere on the beach! Haha!

Some of them were lost their way, our responsibility to direct them to the sea...

One of the lost baby turtle...(wrong direction...)

When I saw partial of them got into the water....the moment was so Touch! Awesome!
You have to feel it yourself on the spot...hehe!

Partial baby turtles found in the water...

Then we started to prayed for them...to be strong and survive! Most of the little turtles will become the food of the bigger fish and birds during day time...that's why Only one will survive from the thousand...

The little one no need food for the first week, then they will start to eat the sea weeds and jelly fish. The tour guide said, he saw some dead sea turtles on the beach sometimes ago, because the sea turtles ate some plastic bags and they thought that was jelly fish!

So we have to keep our ocean clean and don't let the sea turtles die again from the rubbish!

Once all the little turtles swim into the sea...we heard someone shouted : "The mother is going back to the sea!" At that time, the mother turtle finished cover up the hole and crawl heavyly toward the sea...

All of us greeted the turtle and said "Bye-Bye and see you again"...

The next program will be the time to dig out all the eggs and bring them to the hatching center...

Everyone has a chance to feel the eggs...

Total of 91 eggs as counted...

It was A Great educational trip! I advise you have to go for it at least Once! We like it very much!

If you drive yourself to the beach, there will be no charges at all! But the disadvantages are no tour guide to explain and no chance to feel the little baby...

I will watch the sea turtles again in our next visit to Cherating!

Once we got back the Resort, me, Mr Anthony, Mr Praba and Mr Siva (The Resort Manager) end our day in a few mugs of Tiger Draught in the pub...

Related post :
*  Media FAM Trip 2012 at Cherating, Pahang.

Location map of the Turtle laying eggs at Mak Nik Beach, Chukai - Terengganu.

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