Turtle nesting to be closely guarded

Disturbed sojourn: A screen shot of the turtle labouring back to the ocean after laying eggs on the beach near Rasa Sayang Hotel in Batu Ferringhi on Friday.

GEORGE TOWN: The Fisheries Department expects the turtle whose nesting was disturbed to return within the next 10 days to Batu Ferringhi to lay new eggs.

Department officer Mohd Syahrulnizam Ismail said two staff members would be stationed near the Rasa Sayang Hotel beachfront to look out for the turtle.

“From our experience, we are certain that the turtle would return and our staff will be there from Sunday.”

Mohd Syahrulnizam said the department had taken the five eggs salvaged from the earlier nesting to the incubation and hatching centre at the Pantai Kerachut Turtle Sanctuary.

Most eggs laid by the turtle on Friday were stolen and only five remained when the nest was dug up by Fisheries Department officers.

The theft took place despite the hotel cordoning off the area on learning about the turtle landing.

Mohd Syahrulnizam said it was not easy to safeguard turtle nestings as the stretch was a tourist haunt and anyone could have stolen the eggs.

It’s normal for a sea turtle to lay about 100 eggs or more at any one time.