Hello guys! It's Awe here, and I am a staff member of this amazing conservation initiative aimed at protecting sea turtles in the Perhentian Islands. Our team works tirelessly to ensure the long-term survival of these amazing creatures, and we are excited to share our progress and updates with you through this blog.
Kayak Surveys:
We conducted nine kayak surveys to collect data on the in-water turtle population. During these surveys, we were able to spot and identify 16 individual turtles. The data collected from these surveys is crucial to understand the population dynamics and to develop effective conservation measures to protect these species.
Turtle Nest Relocation:
One of the critical aspects of sea turtle conservation is the protection of their nesting sites. We relocated these nests to the Tiga Ruang nesting beach, where they can hatch in a safe and protected environment. This effort significantly increases the chances of survival for the baby turtles and contributes to the conservation of the species.
Stranding Reports Response:
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, some sea turtles do not survive. As a part of our commitment to sea turtle conservation, we respond to stranding reports of dead turtles. During the first half of this month, we responded to five such reports. We conduct post-mortem examinations to determine the cause of death, which helps us to better understand the threats faced by these endangered species.
Stakeholder Training:
In response to the recent stranding cases, we have been working hard to address these incidents decided to take proactive steps to prevent future strandings by providing training to local stakeholders, including dive shops and boatmen. The training covers what to do and what not to do when encountering nesting and stranded turtles, and we also raised awareness about our Citizen Science initiative, encouraging them to send turtle pictures to us. We also distributed posters to them, so they can share them with their customers.
In conclusion, our work with the Perhentian Turtle Project during the first half of this month has been productive and meaningful. We have conducted kayak surveys to collect data on the in-water turtle population, relocated four turtle nests to Tiga Ruang nesting beach, responded to five stranding reports of dead turtles, and involved with stakeholder training. Our efforts contribute towards the conservation of sea turtles and raise awareness about the importance of their protection.