GEORGE TOWN: The turtles are bouncing back to Pantai Kerachut in the Penang National Park here with the number growing to 190 between 2001 and last year with eight being the smallest number landed within a year.
Pantai Kerachut Turtle Conservation Centre chief Mansor Yobe said between 7000 and 8,000 turtle eggs were produced yearly while 50,200 hatchlings were produced from 81,142 eggs through incubation process of between 50 and 70 days at the centre during the period.
He said the sex of the hatchlings were influenced by the nests temperature, adding that female hatchlings were produced in a temperature of 30 degree Celsius and above while male hatchlings in a temperature of between 26 and 28 degree Celsius.
More female than male hatchlings are produced under controlled condition through the incubation process while between 20 and 30 per cent of the eggs were allowed to hatch naturally, he told Bernama after releasing 180 turtles, including 10 young mothers, to the sea here today.
Mansor said apart from Pantai Kerachut, turtle landings were also reported at Pantai Teluk Kampi and Teluk Ketapang in the Penang National Park as well as in Pantai Gertak Sanggul and Pasir Pandak in Teluk Kumbar, and Batu Ferringhi, but they were small in number.
Hence, the Turtle Conservation Centre, set up in 1990, would extend its operation to move turtle eggs from Gertak Sanggul and Pasir Pandak in Teluk Kumbar to Pantai Kerachut.
He said turtles usually returned to its birthplace after 20 years and 95 per cent of the turtles that landed at the centre were of Agar and green species while the rest were of the Lipas species.
"Visitors are allowed to visit the centre during the daytime. They get the opportunity to identify turtle nests, how the eggs are dug up and moved, and baby turtles being released into the sea," he said.
Meanwhile, Penang National Park deputy superintendent Zuraida Abdul Malik said the turtles’ repeated landings showed that the beaches gazetted by the Penang National Park still retained their natural landscape while replanting of trees and plants also helped attract turtles to return to lay eggs.
Those interested in having joint programmes with the centre can contact the Penang Fisheries Department at 04-6572777. -- BERNAMA