Large green sea turtle found dead on Labuan beach

LABUAN: A giant green sea turtle (Chelonia Mydas) was found dead on the Kampung Sungai Labu beach here on Tuesday (Feb 14), with authorities saying it could have been hit by a boat propeller.

A villager spotted the carcass at 7.28am and alerted Bernama photographer Muqtadir Halim, who then reported to the Labuan Fisheries Department.

Labuan Fisheries Department director Faizal Suhaili Ibrahim said the metre-long turtle was believed to have been washed up on the beach, which was a popular destination for visitors on weekends.

"We found severe injuries on the body. The tissue was bloated and smelly, indicating the turtle has been dead for several days," he told Bernama.

Green turtles were found mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. Like other sea turtles, they migrate long distances between feeding grounds and the beaches from where they hatch.

Classified as endangered, green turtles were threatened by overharvesting of their eggs, hunting of adults, loss of nesting beach sites and risk being caught in fishing nets.

"The species is under high risk of extinction if threats to their survival are not addressed," he said.

On Sept 17, 2022, a dead green turtle (with injury marks on its body) was found at the Mawilla beach here. - Bernama