Turtle Encounter at Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre
Yesterday, we wish to go somewhere else and decided to visit Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre at Pengkalan Balak, Melaka. Before going, I was doing some homework by Googling but I found so little information about this place. There was a blog about this place about 3-4 years ago. The only thing I could find is the location. So, off we go and see what we can find there.
The location is not difficult to find, as you were guided by many signboards as you drive nearer to it. Once there, we had no idea where to go and who to approach. By chance, we met a group of volunteers cleaning up the turtle nesting place. The guide was explaining to them about the story where many poachers were around the nesting site always looking for opportunity to steal the eggs for profits.
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| They get help from the rangers and fishery department in a constant battle against poachers |
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| Here is one of the site for the turtle nesting |
The black netting surround the eggs to prevent hatching turtle from scattering around. They will get to the roads instead of sea because they think the street lights were sun. Once the turtle hatches, the volunteer will keep them at the conservation centre and will release them to sea by batch.
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| During our visit, a bunch of school kids were at the auditorium listening to the turtle conservation project. |
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| The beach beside the centre is a public place and there are many families come here for picnic and relax. |
After walking around and not sure what to do, we spotted the group of volunteers just now gathering by the sea. We not sure what they were waiting but since we have no better things to do so we just hang around. Not long after that, the guide carried 2 white foam box and walk towards the crowd. They were so excited and my guess is they are going to release the turtles to the sea! The group line up in 2 "V" shape and were brief by the guide not to touch them as they slowly crawl towards the sea.
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| Those little turtles were in the box, waiting to go back where they are coming from. |
After the turtles released, all the turtles start to crawl towards the sea like they know it.
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| The kids were excited about releasing the turtles to the sea. |
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| Nothing can stop the turtle determination to get into the sea. |
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| The turtle look like crying to prevent the sand get into its eyes. |
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| I AM BRAVE! |
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| This is my favourite shot when the turtle open its arms to crawl ahead. |
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| I'm going home! |
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| This is a normal turtle |
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| One turtle caught sleeping / resting after just crawling for few meter away from the box. |
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| This is abnormal turtle as explained by the guide. Can you spot the difference with the normal one? |
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| These are the group of volunteers gathered to watch the turtles returning home! |
Here is a short clip on the little turtles going back to sea!
On the way going home, many thoughts cross through my mind. For about 10,000 turtles that go into the sea, only 10 will make it. They will come back to the same shore for laying eggs after about 20 years. We cannot imagine what these little turtles going through in the rough sea. They going into the unknown with great courage and strong will to survive. So glad we made the journey here to inspire our life by these precious little creatures. See you again here in 20 years!
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