“Selaut is a pristine island which is home to four of the remaining seven sea turtle species which we now know to be nesting on the island: Leatherback Sea Turtle, Green Sea Turtle, Hawksbill Sea Turtle and Olive Ridley Sea Turtle”
Selaut is one of Indonesia’s most westerly island and truly remote. It is this remoteness that means it has maintained such impressive numbers of sea turtles. Unfortunately due to a increasing number of fishing boats venturing to Selaut, the islands turtles are threatened by high levels of poaching and need protecting. In partnership with Turtle Foundation and Yaysan Penyu Indonesia, there is now a team of seven rangers that provide constant surveillance of the islands turtle populations along with collecting scientific data.
To secure the protection of Selaut’s turtle eggs, a hatchery has been developed and is closely monitored by the ranger team.
Hatcheries are important because they not only increase the safety of the turtle eggs from human poaching, but also mean the eggs do not get eaten by monitor lizards or washed into the sea by large waves eroding the beach. Hatcheries also allow the rangers to collect important date on the species of turtle, number of eggs per nest, and the number of eggs that successfully hatch.
