Baby turtles hatch in Phang Nga national park
A female green turtle laid eggs on a beach in Phang Nga province in December, and last week, her babies hatched. The turtle laid 75 eggs altogether, and park officials confirmed yesterday that 66 had hatched and have been released into the ocean. Seven eggs were unfertilised, and two baby turtles had died. The 90.7% of hatchlings that survived spent a total of 58 days incubating.
Officials of the Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang National Park said they discovered the eggs had hatched on Friday. Before that, they had noticed on Wednesday that some of the sand in the turtle’s nest had collapsed. They cleared away some sand that had gotten moist from rain, since it could have prevented the babies from hatching. But it turned out the babes had already hatched, and were headed for the sea. A park spokesman said the 66 babies are in perfect condition. A video shows the brand new little turtles scurrying towards the water.
With a lack of tourists due to Covid-19, sea turtles are thriving in some parts of Thailand. In 2020, 838 baby sea turtles hatched in Koh Samui, where their numbers had fallen drastically. Empty beaches mean there is more nesting space, and new hatchlings are safe and free to waddle out to the sea after they hatch.
SOURCE: The Phuket News | Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang National Park
