Dead Leatherback Sea Turtle Discovered In Phuket

[webfact]

Dead leatherback sea turtle discovered in Phuket

The carcass of the dead leatherback, which is now under examination

at the Phuket Marine Biological Center.

PHUKET: -- Experts believe a 200kg leatherback sea turtle found floating in the shallows of Klong Tha Cheen in Phuket yesterday afternoon died after becoming entangled in a fishing net.

The death comes amid what one expert has described as a “crisis” for the endangered species.

The body of the turtle, estimated at between 15 and 25 years old, was discovered floating in mangrove forest by residents of the Bang Hon Sai Thong residential estate in Rassada subdistrict.

The villagers hauled the carcass onto the beach and alerted officials from the Marine Endangered Species Unit at the Phuket Marine Biological Center at Cape Panwa.

The animal had large wounds to its front legs thought to have been made by fish hooks. A large cut in its mouth was also consistent with entanglement with a fishing line.

The officers loaded the heavy creature onto a truck and drove it to the PMBC for further examination.

The body, weighing 196 kilograms, had a circumference of almost three metres. Officials estimated it died no more than two days before its body was discovered.

PMBC director Wannakiat Tubtimsaeng said the turtle was of mating age and it was likely swimming ashore to lay eggs on one of Phuket's beaches.

However, the area where the turtle was found was not a place where leatherbacks traditionally laid eggs.

The most common nesting spot is Mai Khao beach in Thalang district.

Leatherback turtles have also been known to lay on other west coast beaches including Kata, Karon and Patong.

Fishermen apparently pulled the creature onto a boat to disentangle it before throwing it back into the sea in Klong Tha Cheen. The animal was found several kilometers upstream, not an area where pelagic sea turtles like the leatherback would normally venture.

The official cause of death will be determined pending a full autopsy, he said.

Mr Wannakiat said the situation looked grim for turtles in Phuket this season, with no turtles of any type laying eggs on any beaches so far. In particular, no leatherbacks have been seen laying eggs anywhere along Thailand's Andaman coastline.

He called the situation a “crisis” for the population of leatherbacks, the most endangered species of turtle in the region.

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-03-03

[ScubaBuddha]

Leatherback turtles have also been known to lay on other west coast beaches including Kata, Karon and Patong.

In fact these beaches were a regular nesting ground before tourism became popular here. Now there is no chance with all the beach chairs and people. Leatherbacks numbers have been decimated due to lose of nesting grounds and poaching of eggs. I believe the last successful Leatherback hatching in Phuket was 2002: Leatherbacks hatch at Mai Khao Beach In 2006 a Leatherback laid eggs on Karon beach but locals dug up a clutch in order to sell them: Locals dig up Leatherback eggs It's good to see this getting some attention. Now it seems the locals are a bit more aware. Too bad it seems like it's too late for the Andaman Leatherback. What a tragedy.

It's really a special thing to be able to dive with a sea turtle. I see them less and less around Phuket's dive sites over the last decade. Every time I see one I feel like I am witnessing soon to be history.

From 2005:

K. Kongkiat explained that about 10 years ago there were about 500 known sites in Phuket and Phang Nga where turtles laid their eggs.

However, he explained, “Although in the past three years turtle eggs have been found on Phuket, no hatchlings have been spotted on the island because there have been no male turtles coming to fertilize the eggs.

“Most turtles are killed by fishing equipment, especially floating fishing nets. It is dangerous and we need to move to protect turtles as fast as possible,” he added.

Edited March 3, 2011 by ScubaBuddha