Gone are the Turtles That Once Made Rantau Abang Famous
Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) once adorned Rantau Abang beach in Malaysia. These gentle giants would visit this beach to lay their eggs, often attracting many curious people to watch this great spectacle at night. This beach, along with five others, were the hub for leatherback nesting however this is no longer true. In 1956, 10,000 nests were reported on this beach alone, and in 2003 had diminished to a measly two nests.
This beach was favoured by these turtles as it slopes steeply so nesting females didnโt have to expend too much energy to reach a suitable spot near vegetation to lay their eggs. Interestingly, the sand granules on this beach were larger than normal, making the beach slightly cooler and more inviting for leatherback turtles.
What has caused such a catastrophic decline in leatherback turtles at this beach?
To find out why, follow the link aboveโฆ
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Photo from FTM News.
