More sea turtles lay eggs on Koh Samui

It’s been years since sea turtles have been seen laying eggs on Koh Samui beaches. But this year more than a dozen sea turtle nests have popped up around the island’s coast. Just over the weekend, 70 eggs were found by villagers at Laem So beach by the Ban Sai Ree Hotel.

It’s rare for the turtles to come to Koh Samui, and especially busy beaches. Typically green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) don’t make their way to Koh Samui and are known to lay their eggs on remote shores in the Andaman Sea. 17 nests have been found on the island since February, and officials say they think there’s been more than 1,000 eggs altogether.

Around 100 metres from the newly-found nest, another nest is infant of the Villa Kalyana Koh Samui Hotel. Five nests have been discovered in front of the Banyan Tree Samui Hotel, which luckily has helped protect the nests, making enclosures to keep it safe from monitor lizards and other predators. In April, 200 turtles from 3 nests by the hotel hatched and baby turtles made their way into the Gulf of Thailand.

“The discovery means the ecology of the island might be revived to a level that sea turtles can return,” an expert in marine ecology told the Bangkok Post. Another marine ecologist made a post on Facebook about the nests, saying that because the coronavirus prevention measures, many beaches have been vacant, leading to animals like sea turtles to venture ashore. Some say national parks should be closed longer to allow more time for wildlife to rehabilitate.

“The villagers love the turtles. They always keep the beach clean. This discovery will only help strengthen the bond between islanders and their environment.”

SOURCES: Bangkok Post| Bangkok Post | Banyan Tree Resort