General : Third Leatherback Turtle Landing In T'ganu This Month Renews Conservation Hopes

Dungun: A leatherback turtle has returned to nest at Kuala Abang Beach, laying 70 eggs early this morning. This marks the third recorded landing on the state's beaches this month, according to Terengganu Fisheries Department director Pang Nyukang. The turtle, spotted by an egg collector at Kuala Abang Beach around 2am, returned to the sea approximately 5.30am after completing its nesting.

Measuring 2.15m in length and 1.15m in width, the female turtle was collected by Fisheries Department personnel at 6am for incubation at the Turtle Conservation Centre Hatchery in Rantau Abang. The incubated eggs are anticipated to hatch within 50 to 70 days. Pang Nyukang indicated that the department has not ruled out the possibility that the turtle might be the same one that previously nested at Terengganu's shores - first at Pasir Putih Beach in Marang on September 1 and then at Rantau Abang Beach on September 13.

This return of the world's largest turtle species to Terengganu's beaches three times in a single month has generated renewed hope for conservation initiatives. For years, no recorded leatherback landings had been reported in the state. The three nestings underscore the significance of safeguarding the state's beaches as crucial nesting grounds for this endangered species.