| Sea turtles eggs have long been considered a delicacy and aphrodisiac by the Chinese. Poachers therefore dig up sea turtle eggs on the beach in the early mornings and sell them at nearby food markets. We buy up all the eggs and report the poachers (who sometimes sell the eggs under the guise of bird eggs) to local authorities. Again, evidence in the form of photographs is a must for the report to be effective.
We carefully transport the eggs to a designated fenced beach area where the eggs are buried for natural incubation. The incubation period is 60 days. Researchers predict a survival rate of one in four hatchling sea turtles due to inherent vulnerabilities including small size and shell softness during first few months after hatching. The tiny turtles fall easy prey to birds, crabs, larger fish, and a myriad other predators.
Our goal is to increase the percentage survival rate. To accomplish this, we keep the hatchlings for a period of up to 10 months in large net enclosures out in the open sea, surrounded by wooden planks for easy observation. This setup simulates a natural habitat which allows for natural sea water circulation. They are fed much the same diet they would find in the wild – shrimp, small fish, and other sea critters.
After 10 months, the turtles are larger and their shells have hardened, making them less susceptible to predators, at which time they are released.
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