Turtle centre in Teluk Bahang National Park an educational treat for nature lovers

A hatchling of olive ridley turtles swim in a container at the conservation centre in Penang National Park. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, June 14, 2015.All year round, green turtles return to the white sandy beaches of Teluk Bahang in Penang to lay their eggs at night, before returning to sea.

After their departure, staff from the Fisheries Department's Turtle Conservation and Information Centre on Pantai Kerachut will get to work, putting up nettings around the holes to protect the eggs.

"If the turtles lay their eggs far from the centre, we would have to dig them out and rebury them near our office.

"We can't afford to leave them out there unguarded, exposed to predators and also fishermen who would 'steal' the eggs. One egg can sell for RM6 or RM7," an assistant at the centre, Safuan Mohd Noor told The Malaysian Insider recently.

He said he failed to understand why people believed in the old tales that turtle eggs were good for the health when they were so high in cholesterol.

"Maybe those who eat turtle eggs will pay for it with their health when they suffer from high cholesterol later."

It is still not illegal to sell green turtle eggs but the Fisheries Department is telling people to report to authorities immediately if they know of anyone collecting turtle eggs illegally or selling them.

For its turtle conservation efforts, the department has been roping in some local fishermen to help make rounds and watch the other beaches in the area like Teluk Kampi for egg laying turtles.

A worker at the turtle conservation centre, Safuan Mohd Nor, takes out a turtle from a container. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, June 14, 2015.When they spot the females, the fishermen, who are licensed and paid by the department, would wait to collect the eggs and send them to the centre so they can be reburied and incubated at the hatchery, where they would be safe.

The incubation period for turtle eggs is between 50 to 60 days before the hatchlings start to emerge from their nests in the sand.

The centre keeps the hatchlings at its premises for a while, and visitors will get a kick from seeing the baby turtles swim in a big plastic pool at the entrance of the building.

"We keep the hatchlings until a new batch hatches. Then the older batch will be released into the sea. We cannot keep them forever. The sea may be dangerous but they need to be in their natural habitat to survive," said Safuan.

Safuan, who has been working at the centre for over a year under contract, loves sharing interesting facts about the turtles, such as the gender of the hatchlings can be determined by the temperature of the sand the eggs were incubated in.

"If the sand is cool, you get male turtles. If the sand is warm, you get females," he said, adding that turtles took decades to reach sexual maturity.

To help people under the dangers faced by the species, Safuan would also share sad stories about how the centre's staff and nearby fishermen find turtles killed after being hit by boats or died from choking on pieces of plastic in the sea.

"Turtles feed on jellyfish. Pantai Kerachut is a favourite location for them because it has a lot of jellyfish, which the turtles like.

"In the water, the turtle could have mistaken the plastic as food so it choked on it and died. This is why we need to stop polluting the sea."

A signboard of turtle landing area is placed on Pantai Kerachut in Teluk Bahang. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, June 14, 2015.To reproduce, female turtles also risk drowning, Safuan said, if the male turtle that had latched on to her did not let go in time for her to resurface for air.

"Turtles mate in the water with the male riding on the female's shell for hours. Sometimes a second male can latch on and the sole female has to bear the extra burden.

"If she can't go up for air, she drowns. A turtle can only stay under water for about five hours. Then it has to come up for air."

Safuan said the centre received visitors everyday and after Hari Raya, they were planning to hold a conservation programme, where visitors could witness the release of baby turtles into the sea and help with a gotong-royong to clean up the area.

To reach the turtle conservation centre, which is open daily from 10.00am to 4.30pm, visitors can hire a boat from the entrance of the national park.

Prices are approximately RM40 to RM80 for a one-way trip, and between RM80 and RM100 for a return trip. There are several boat operators available.

For avid hikers and those who are fit and adventurous, they can hike about 3.4km across the park to reach the centre.

The hike, according to the park management, takes about one hour and 20 minutes. – June 14, 2015.