Sea turtles are now threatened throughout the world, and, despite the implementation of conservation policies, populations continue to plummet. The east coast of Peninsular Malaysia is no exception. 15 years ago, this region was a prolific breeding-ground for four species of turtle, now only two remain. Human exploitation is the biggest contributor to the decline in the turtle population, with egg poaching the major activity preventing entire generations from ever making it out to sea. Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) numbers have halved over the past 20 years and the Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate) are on the brink of local & global extinction.
Lang Tengah Turtle Watch has been founded in the confidence that the most crucial step towards the ultimate preservation of these majestic creatures is to help ensure that the new generations actually make it out to sea.
For guests staying at the Tanjong Jara Resort you can visit the Lang Tengah Turtle Watch team to talk about their important work and find out more about sea turtles, biology, ecology and conservation at large. You can also sign up for the various activities and programmes that are on offer.
Nest Inspections are conducted most days (May – October) at the hatchery and provide a time for guests to come and see our team at work, gathering data from nests and making sure that they are kept as healthy as possible by minimising their risk of infection and predation.
Once the Lang Tengah team have identified when the babies are ready to leave the nest and head out to sea they will invite guests to join them to help and celebrate this momentous occasion.
Hatchling releases usually occur at least once a week. However, this is nature, and nothing is guaranteed. The releases are carried out at the discretion of the staff and occur under red light, to minimise disturbance to the turtles (June – October). No flash photography, bright iPhone’s or lights are permitted, and we ask you to fully follow the instructions from the team to allow the turtles a safe release.
