Dozens of sea turtles hatch

MAI KHAO: A nest of leatherback turtles hatched at the weekend on Mai Khao beach, the fourth hatching since January 17. The mother turtle arrived on the beach to lay the eggs in December. Thanu Naep-nien, spokesperson for the environmentalist group Wildlife Fund Thailand, said, “There were 105 eggs in the nest. Around 80 have hatched. They started hatching Saturday night.” Local villagers stood watch over the nest of turtle eggs until they hatched, and will continue taking care of the youngsters until April 13, when there will be a ceremony at Mai Khao to release them into the sea.