Turtles in Sabah
Sea Turtles have a sort of built-in GPS that when they are mature, will tell them to return to their nesting beach to lay their eggs. The same beach from which they began their journey into the big blue after making it across the challenging obstacle course that lay ahead of them from eggshell to the water’s edge when they were mere hatchlings.
This was one of the facts we learned from David McCann, Conservation Manager at Scuba Junkie S.E.A.S., at Mabul Island. He talked to the primary students at #KinabaluInternationalSchool last Monday and gave a really fun and informative presentation of these beautiful and clever creatures that have literally been around since the dinosaurs ruled the land. Amazing.
Green Turtle Turtles in footsteps
Protecting Turtles at Mabul Leatherback Turtle
We also learned that four out of the worlds’ seven species of Marine Turtles are found right here in Sabah’s waters. Those four species are:
- Hawksbill – named for the shape of their beak.
- Green Turtle – not actually green on the outside but on the inside. It is the colour of their blubber.
- Leatherback – the largest turtle in the ocean, which Dave illustrated very well with the help of a few volunteers from the audience measuring in steps how long it is from the tip of its beak to the tail end.
- Loggerhead – named for their large heads that support their powerful jaw muscles. They use these to crush hard-shelled prey.
Did you know that whilst Turtles can’t breathe underwater, they can hold their breath for a very long time. In fact, the Green Turtle can hold its breath for 5 hours when sleeping.
Another fascinating fact we learned is that a Turtle’s gender is determined by the temperature in its nest. When the temperature is perfect, there will be approximately 50/50% females vs males. The eggs in the cooler part of the nest will become males and the eggs in the hotter part of the nest will become females.
Turtles are very sensitive to touch and can even sense the touch of a hand on its shell. That is one reason why we should never touch them, despite how tempting it may be, if we are lucky to encounter them under water. In addition, should we come across a nesting turtle on a beach we must stay absolutely quiet because if the mother turtle is disturbed, she may abort her mission to dig a nest and lay eggs and return to the water.
Although turtles are sensitive to touch their sense of taste is not great. All turtles like to eat jellyfish and they sometimes mistake plastic bags in the water for jellyfish. As its sense of taste is so poor, it may end up eating an entire bag, clueless to the harm it will do to its body.
Sadly, Turtles are threatened not only by plastic pollution but by poaching as well. Poachers steal their eggs and sell them and some kill them to make turtle soup. Both are illegal and punishable by law in Malaysia.
So, what can we do to help save the turtles? Well, it’s really not that difficult at all. For starters, don’t eat turtle eggs or any form of turtle meat and notify the authorities if you come across it anywhere. Say no to plastic bags and plastic straws. They often end up in the ocean after being discarded, and are a threat to not only turtles but all other marine life as well. Snorkel responsibly – enjoy the magnificent view but do not touch! And how about organising a beach clean in celebration of these lovely yet endangered animals? Perhaps on World Turtle Day on 23rd of May. Remember, if we all help a little it makes a big difference.
Dave and his S.E.A.S. team run a number of conservation projects on Mabul Island looking after our Ocean. One being an animal hospital where they rescue and treat injured turtles and release them back into the wild when the Turtles are fit-for-fight again. Another is a protected hatchery, where the Turtles’ nests are kept safe when discovered and the hatchlings safely released when ready. The S.E.A.S. team work with the Mabul Island community on these efforts and offer a generous reward to the members of the community when they notify the team of a nest and help protect it.
I hope that the Wild Bunch Bags fundraising campaign at Kinabalu International School is successful and that we will be able to support the conservation efforts at Mabul Island, which is a step towards ensuring that our Children have a chance of seeing these clever and beautiful creatures roam the worlds seas in their future.
Please contact me if you would like to support the Wild Bunch Bags fundraising campaign HERE and stay tuned for more updates on the campaign via the Wild Kids Ink facebook page and on instagram.
