Article: Turtle-watching season begins

By SIMON KHOO

THE Turtle Sanctuary and Information Centre in Chendor Beach near Kuantan is the right place for turtle lovers over the next few months.

This is because the nesting period for turtles is from April to early September.

Lucky visitors may get the chance to watch mostly green turtles toiling ashore to lay eggs.

Statistics showed that the number of green turtles landing in Pahang has increased over the past three years.

Interactive: Visitors feeding adult turtles at the Turtle Sanctuary and Information Centre in Chendor Beach near Kuantan recently.

As far as sightings of the species is concerned, there were 160 in 2005, 260 in 2006 and 307 in 2007.

The green turtle is actually olive-brown in colour but is named after the colour of its fat.

It grows over 1m in carapace length and weighs between 135kg and 170kg.

It is almost exclusively vegetarian and feeds on sea grasses, algae and occasionally sponges, and lays between 80 and 150 eggs per nest.

Siblings Michael Siva, eight, and Daniel, seven, were among the early birds who got their parents to take them to watch the turtles.

Inviting ambience: Outside view of the turtle sanctuary in Chendor.

“I love animals. Not just turtles but all kinds of creatures. I adore them and managed to get my parents to allow me to skip school to be here.

“Just look at them. They are so cute and loveable,” he said while taking a look at day-old turtles at the sanctuary.

Michael said he would come back soon with his parents to stay overnight and watch the turtles lay eggs on the shore at night.

The siblings then left the premises with a heavy heart, but not before dropping a contribution in a donation box at the sanctuary.

Both boys pledged not to eat turtle eggs or throw rubbish into the sea in order to minimise pollution and save the turtles.

The sanctuary, set up in 1997 on a 0.33ha site, is managed by the Fisheries Department with the state’s co-operation.

Will to survive: Turtles on display at the sanctuary.

Among its objectives are to protect turtles from threats, abuse and extinction and carry out turtle-hatchery programmes, conservation and research.

Visiting hours are from 9am to 5.30pm and 8pm to 6am (Tuesday to Sunday) while on Friday thehours are from 9am to 12pm and 3pm to 5.30pm.

The centre is closed on Mondays.

For more information, call 09-581 9087 or send e-mail to penyuphg@tm.net.my

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: South & East 10 April 2009