Third leatherback turtle landing in T'ganu this month renews conservation hopes

DUNGUN: A leatherback turtle has returned to nest at Kuala Abang Beach here, laying 70 eggs early this morning.

Terengganu Fisheries Department director Pang Nyukang said this was the third recorded landing on the state's beaches this month.

He said the turtle was spotted by a turtle egg collector at Kuala Abang Beach about 2am and returned to the sea about 5.30am after laying its eggs.

"The female turtle measured 2.15m in length and 1.15m in width," he said in a statement today.

Pang said Fisheries Department personnel collected the eggs at 6am for incubation at the Turtle Conservation Centre Hatchery in Rantau Abang, near here.

"The incubated leatherback turtle eggs are expected to hatch within 50 to 70 days," he said.

He said the department did not rule out the possibility that the turtle was the same one that had returned to Terengganu's shores earlier this month, after landing and laying eggs at Pasir Putih Beach, Marang on Sept 1 and Rantau Abang Beach on Sept 13.

After years without a recorded leatherback landing in Terengganu, the return of the world's largest turtle species to the state's beaches three times this month has renewed hope for conservation efforts.

The three landings also highlight the importance of protecting the state's beaches as nesting grounds for the endangered species.