A nest of about 120 baby turtles made contact with the sea for the first time at East Coast Park yesterday morning (Jul. 17).
As the Hawksbill turtle hatchlings scampered towards the sea, they were supervised by staff from National Parks Board's (NParks) conservation department.
Look at their little flippers go:
NParks shared with Mothership that they were alerted to the nest after a member of public sighted a nesting turtle in late May.
The staff then went onsite to find the nest and placed a mesh over the eggs to prevent natural predators like monitor lizards from reaching them.
Finally, when the hatchlings emerged from the nest, conservation officers took measurements from some of them to determine the health of the clutch.
All of them made it to sea safely, said NParks.
Turtles in Singapore
The Hawksbill turtle and Green turtle are the only species of marine turtles that can be found in Singapore.
Both species are critically endangered.
They face threats such as the loss of nesting beaches, getting caught in sea pollution like abandoned fishing nets and getting poached for its shell and eggs.
Nesting in Singapore
As turtle hatchlings crawl towards the ocean, they imprint the location of the coast and are likely to return to the same place when they become adults.
Every year, a few female Hawksbill turtles return to our shores to lay their eggs, said NParks.
Nesting season usually takes place from June to September every year.
Female hawksbill turtles can lay up to 200 eggs at once, usually under the cover at night. The eggs would hatch after around two months.
In 2018, NParks established a turtle hatchery on Small Sister’s Island to provide a conducive environment for turtle hatchlings to incubate, hatch and make it out to sea without harm.
What to do if you see hatchlings or a nesting turtle
The Hawksbill turtle is a protected species under the Wildlife Act.
Members of public are not permitted to collect the hatchlings or eggs, and doing so is an offence under the Wildlife Act.
If you spot hatchlings or a nesting turtle:
- Call the NParks helpline (1800-471-7300).
- Do not touch the hatchlings, turtle or the eggs.
- Keep a safe distance and keep noise levels low by speaking softly.
- Do not shine lights at the turtle or use flash photography as light and noise may scare the turtle and cause it to leave without laying any eggs.
- Keep clear of tracks left by the turtle as researchers may use the tracks to identify the species of the turtle and to locate the nest.
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All media via NParks.