Survey at Pantai Pasir Panjang (Long White Beach)

A lot of sea turtles nesting on this beach.

We used binocular to see along the shore from boat. It's another way to find the turtle tracks. (Photo Below: The conservation rangers Bj,Q, and Rofiq who was mapping out the survey)


We made two teams to find turtle nests at different shores. We then recorded the turtle tracks we found, how many nests there are and how the condition of each nest is. Usually the cause why there are no eggs within the nests is known from the condition of the nests which is appeared.

after the long hot survey.... snorkeling was our choice to end up the day...



"Nah...snorkeling disini dulu sblm pulang..." (ylutiyan)

Turtle Release ! Were you there ?

Did you come to the beach yesterday? The first batch of Hawksbill hatchlings were released that day.... Bye bye babies, be strong.....

Below is a story from one of our volunteer, Soraya (20) a college student from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), who's doing her two months job-training program in Bintan...

Here's her experience.........

The Wonder of Nature

This is my first time in Bintan, I came here to attend “on the job training programme” at Nirwana Gardens Resort, one of many resorts in Lagoi, Bintan Island.

Since my major study is biology, especially ecology, I got job to take care about sea turtle conservation programme here. Actually, I knew nothing about sea turtles before I came here. Then I attend sea turtles training programme, got so many info about them.

There are two species of sea turtles that lay their eggs frequently in Bintan Island, Hawksbill turtle and Green turtle. I’ve already found 2 nests of Hawksbill turtle in June, 12th and 30th . It really makes me soo happy, because all my efforts paid off. I’ve done turtle survey with my team, walk along the beaches in the morning, on 4 a.m or 5 a.m, bring my flashlight, walk along sandy beach, or rocky beach sometimes, and i’m doing this 2-3 times a week.

When we found mommy turtle’s track, we followed it to her nests. She usually makes 2-3 nests, the real nest is only one, so we have to check it one by one using a stick and stab it carefully. When we found the real nest, we dig it, and relocated the eggs to our hatchery in Nirwana Gardens beach. We took the eggs one by one carefully because the eggs shouldn’t be rotated, put them in a bucket that covered with a little bit of sand, and bring them to our hatchery, where we have dig a hole as same as the real nest and place the eggs there.

And after 2 months, the eggs will hatch, the hatchlings will crawl up, out from their nest, walk on the beach to the sea. It’s very amazing if you can see it by yourself.

Yesterday, first of July, I just saw that moment, started from a little dig in their nest, then, one hatchling came out, showed its cute head first, and followed by other hatchlings. It’s a very very amazing moment. They’re always move their little legs, trying to crawl up and run to the sea. We put them in a bucket and released them on the beach.

When they finally reached the sand beach, they're starting to run ...and run to the open sea, keep swimming for 24 hours. I hope in another 20-30 years, one of them can go back and nesting here, in Bintan Island, again. Because the hatchlings have many predators waiting for them, from the sea and from the air. Hope they'll survive......

The Turtle-Release event like yesterday was a wonderful moment for me.....

I hope I can see that again........

(as written on 2-7-2009 by Soraya)

A Volunteer Experience

(admin : below is a nice note from one of our volunteer, Yetty Lutiyan. What about your own experience? Feel free to drop a note)

Finding Nemo's Friends

Yetty wrote on her multiply.com on 20-7-07.
Remember the one who can live in the ocean until 150 years and know how to chill and go with the flow? Yep, the sea turtles! Pssst...actually they can live until 80 years in the real ocean. But its still a long time to survive, right? They spend their whole life in the ocean and only go to the beach to lay their eggs, but they face a loooot of threats in both environment.

Poor sea turtles.. Sea pollution destructs the coral reef which is their habitat and food resources. People capture them for the meat and souvenirs , and there are also a lot of predators in the sea especially for the juveniles as well as for the eggs on the nesting beaches. People harvest their eggs.

One of my friend said “Hmm…I wonder how delicious the eggs are and what they are thinking when they eat those eggs… I wonder why?????, but once my dad said the eggs were very delicious”

See??

Well, I have joined with some conservation rangers for the sea turtle conservation in the north part of Bintan island for a year. We walk along the beaches to find the turtle nests. Then the eggs that we find will be removed to the hatchery. This hatchery is designed to protect the eggs from the predators include human of course, until the hatchling time comes and the tukik (the juveniles) are ready to be released to the sea.

This time in this survey, only few old nests without eggs inside are found by the the rangers. It can be already hatchled, eaten by predators, or taken by people. Btw, the turtle nests can be found at the end of the turtle tracks/imprints that we see on the beach, except for old nests. Usually the imprints of the old nests have already gone.

Historically, there were 3 species of sea turtle nesting in Bintan beaches, but now there are only hawksbill turtles (penyu sisik) found in this island. Where did the 2 species go? Have they already vanished? I dont know...but it seems that their population has reduced much.

So please people, do not pollute the seas, do not consume turtle meats and eggs,
do not buy souvenirs made from turtle bodies. Save the sea turtles.