Sulawesi Establishes Turtle program

April 2007-SM

The North Sulawesi Watersports Association (NSWA) has long been aware that the Sea Turtles, which are attracted to the long sandy beaches of Bunaken Marine Park on Indonesia's Siladen Island, are on the brink of extinction.

With the advice and support of the WWF in Indonesia, the NSWA has established a turtle hatchery in Bunaken Marine Park on a section of beach where the turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. To ensure minimum interference in the natural process only those eggs at risk from being swept away by high tides will be moved to the hatchery to give them a better chance of survival. Any eggs laid by turtles that are safe will be left in place but will be monitored to make sure that they are well protected and untouched during the 45-60 day period of incubation.

The chances of survival for young turtles are quite slim and the NSWA hopes that the establishment of the hatchery will boost the odds for them. It takes 35 years before a turtle is sexually mature and once fertilized the female returns to the beach on which she was born to lay her eggs. They have been known to swim right across the Pacific in order to return to the beach of their birth. When the baby turtles hatch they have to scramble across the sand to reach the sea, a time when they are very vulnerable from swooping sea birds looking for an easy meal. Once in the sea they are still open to attacks from predators.

The first turtle laid 120 eggs on 13th February close to the hatchery and the NSWA reports that all is going well and they are expected to hatch in early April. Many more turtles are expected soon as the peak nesting season is between now and the end of June. The NSWA are using the opportunity to involve local schoolchildren in the monitoring process to educate them about the turtles and their importance in the balance of all marine life.

That's cool.. we have a lot of turtle research going on here too.. a few of the islands off the coast here have nesting green sea turtles and loggerheads.

Have you seen the great turtle race.. http://www.greatturtlerace.com/
They are trying to raise awareness of the leatherback turtles plight..

Just want to let you know that the NSWA is not the only organisation in North Sulawesi having a turtle program.

Some resorts located on Islands just north of Siladen (e.g. Gangga and Bangka Island) have their own turtle program.

Mimpi Indah resort for example had a turtle coming to their beach as well and the eggs where closely guarded to make sure they were not eaten by birds and other animals.

With all your dives around North Sulawesi you have a chance to see turtles.

hi there,

The first time in BlueBayDivers history, we have Turtle Babies. At the 28th October this year 51 turtle where born at our beach.

We decided to keep them until they are more grown up to have a better chance to live when we let them free.

our staff, who is quite experience with turtle babys built a swimming house for the small newcomers. Its net-bourdered area, that they can swim free but still protected.

now they are already 2 month and very hungry :) but growing fast.
check our news site at our web page to have a look and get some infos about that. http://www.blue-bay-divers.de

Sahaung is a small white sandy beach island close to bangka in north sulawese. we hope, our island will be attracted to more turtle coming to laying eggs.

anke