Off the shimmering shores of Thailand’s resort island of Phuket, hope takes flight—or rather, swims—as eleven baby leatherback sea turtles are released into the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. These year-old turtles, each about the size of a rugby ball, embark on a journey that conservationists hope will see them return two decades from now to reproduce, continuing a lifecycle that’s millions of years old.
The release is the culmination of an intensive conservation effort sparked in 2018 when leatherback turtles, critically endangered in the Pacific region, were discovered nesting again on Thailand’s southern beaches after years of absence. Recognizing the fragile state of these hatchlings, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources initiated a program to nurse the weaker turtles, enhancing their survival prospects.
“The stronger turtles have successfully made their way into the ocean, but others perished after hatching,” explained Pinsak Suraswadi, Director-General of the department. “It’s necessary for us to study the travel routes of the baby turtles to understand where they are going so that we can implement measures to protect the leatherback turtle while they are hatching from their nests.”
Equipped with satellite tags provided by the non-profit conservation organization Upwell Turtles, these young mariners are part of an international initiative to monitor and safeguard their species. Thailand joins the ranks of only five countries—including Sri Lanka and Canada—that have successfully nursed this species to their first year of life, a critical milestone given that leatherbacks typically reach reproductive maturity at 20 to 25 years old.
Despite their ancient lineage, tracing back over 150 million years and surviving events that wiped out the dinosaurs, leatherback turtles now face grave threats. With an estimated fewer than 2,300 adult females remaining in the Pacific, according to the World Wildlife Fund, every successful release is a beacon of hope.
The journey ahead for these turtles is fraught with challenges—from entanglement in fishing gear and ingestion of plastic waste to exposure to environmental toxins. Yet, conservationists remain cautiously optimistic.
“I’m happy to know whether our effort in nurturing the leatherback sea turtles for a year proves fruitful or not,” said senior fishery biologist Hirun Kanghae. “If they survive, it answers everything about the conservation and population restoration of the leatherback sea turtles in the best way possible.”
The release of these turtles symbolizes a collaborative stride towards restoring the population of one of the ocean’s most majestic and ancient creatures, underscoring the global importance of marine conservation efforts.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
