Leatherback turtle returns, lays 81 eggs at Rantau Abang beach

A leatherback turtle was detected landing and laying 81 eggs at Rantau Abang beach in Dungun early this morning, according to the Terengganu fisheries department.

Its director Pang Nyukang said it was believed to be the same leatherback turtle that was recorded landing at the Pasir Putih beach in Marang on Sept 1 this year, Bernama reported.

He said the leatherback, which is the world’s largest turtle species, was believed to have laid its eggs at the beach between 1.30am and 2.30am, with the nest discovered by a licensed turtle egg collector at 4am.

However, he said, the mother turtle had returned to the sea after laying its eggs and was no longer at the site when the nest was discovered.

“The fisheries department does not rule out the possibility that the leatherback turtle that landed was the same mother that landed and laid eggs at Pasir Putih Beach about two weeks ago,” he said in a statement.

He added that the tracks left by the leatherback turtle measured 2.20m, while the eggs measured 5cm in diameter.

Pang said the eggs will be sent for incubation at the fisheries department’s Turtle Conservation Centre Hatchery in Rantau Abang.

“The eggs are expected to hatch within 50 to 70 days from today,” he was quoted as saying.

He added that the mother turtle is expected to return to the Rantau Abang stretch of beach to lay eggs for the third time in about two weeks.

Bernama previously reported that a leatherback turtle landed at Pasir Putih Beach on the night of Sept 1 and laid 44 eggs.

Prior to the leatherback turtle landing at the Pasir Putih beach on Sept 1, the last recorded landing of a leatherback turtle on any Terengganu beach was in 2017.