Leatherback turtle returns, lays 81 eggs at Rantau Abang beach

A leatherback turtle made its way to Rantau Abang beach in Dungun and laid 81 eggs, according to the Terengganu fisheries department. It is believed to be the same turtle that was spotted at Pasir Putih beach in Marang on September 1st this year. The turtle, which is the largest of its kind in the world, is thought to have deposited its eggs between 1.30am and 2.30am, with the nest being discovered at 4am by a licensed turtle egg collector.

However, the mother turtle returned to the sea after laying its eggs and was not present at the site when the nest was found. The fisheries department has not ruled out the possibility that the same turtle was responsible for laying eggs at Pasir Putih Beach about two weeks prior. The tracks left by the turtle measured 2.20m in length, while the eggs were 5cm in diameter.

The eggs will be sent for incubation at the fisheries department's Turtle Conservation Centre Hatchery in Rantau Abang, where they are expected to hatch within 50 to 70 days. The mother turtle is anticipated to return to the Rantau Abang stretch of beach to lay another clutch of eggs in roughly two weeks. Previously, a leatherback turtle was recorded landing at Pasir Putih Beach on September 1st and depositing 44 eggs. Before that, the last known landing of a leatherback turtle on a Terengganu beach occurred in 2017.