Leatherback hatchlings emerge from ‘turtle beach’ this morning
About 80 leatherback hatchlings emerged from their nest on a beach in Phang-nga province and raced into the Andaman Sea before dawn this morning.
The first hatchling emerged from the nest on Bang Khwan beach in Takua Thung district at about midnight on Friday, officials from a local conservation centre said.
The first group to emerge made paths around the nest for their siblings to follow to the sea, officials from the district’s Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Centre said.
Female leatherback sea turtles began digging four nests on the beach in December last year.
The 78 that made it to the sea before dawn were from the fourth nest, which had 116 eggs,
Eight more are receiving care at the conservation centre. Five died, and 25 eggs were not fertilised, officials said.
Their mother dug the nest on Bang Khwan beach on December 17. The eggs took 56 days to hatch.
