Great news from Tulap Sea Turtle Conservation Program! For the first time since the the sea turtle hatchery program began in April 2011, leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) eggs have hatched on this beach. Tulap is located in North Sulawesi about an hour’s drive south from the Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue and Education Centre and also one hour from the Masarang Foundation headquarters in Tomohon. This beach is a nesting site for all five species of sea turtle that are native to the region.
On September 2nd 2019, 95 leatherback hatchlings emerged from the Tulap beach sand. They had been monitored closely for two months to protect them from predators and poachers. Predators, such as monitor lizards, wild pigs and dogs, dig the eggs out of the hole and consume them. People also illegally dig out the eggs to consume or sell them.
Sea turtle females drag themselves on to a beach to lay eggs. They are extremely vulnerable at this time. After hauling herself out the water and onto the sand, the female digs out a nest with her flippers and deposits her eggs in the nest. She then covers them with sand and returns to the ocean. The eggs have no other protection. This is a very vulnerable time for the female as well as the eggs, which is why projects like the Tulap beach and the new developing Temboan beach project are very important for sea turtle protection.
The turtle hatchery at Tulap beach, supported by Island school in Hong Kong, and the poacher rehabilitation project supported by Morgan Stanley, Hong Kong, that started approximately 7 years ago have both been very important in establishing a safer environment for turtles on Tulap beach. More recently, the support from LUSH, in 2018-2019, has enabled further protection for these beaches and has resulted in even greater numbers of hatchlings returning to the sea at Tulap in 2018 and 2019.
This is great news for the project and for all!
The leatherback is the biggest sea turtle species. Globally, leatherback status according to IUCN is listed as Vulnerable, but many subpopulations (such as in the Pacific and Southwest Atlantic) are Critically Endangered. Leatherback sea turtles can grow to around 2 m long and weigh up to 900 kg. Unlike other species of sea turtles, the leatherback’s shell is not hard, but rather leathery and flexible.
Soon after hatchlings emerge from the eggs, they crawl out the sand, usually at night to avoid predators and head to the sea. This is a very difficult and dangerous time for the hatchlings, but the hatchery at Tulap as well as the work of the staff at the beach, the hatchlings have a much greater chance of making it to the sea. A new hatchery needs to be built at Tulap as the concrete is starting to crumble and a new design will enable to journey of the hatchlings to be even easier. The Foundation is eager to find support for this construction. Additionally, additional specialist equipment is needed at both Temboan and Tulap beach.
Please consider offering support for this most worthwhile cause.
Photos: Masarang Foundation Team
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