Friday, November 4, 2011

Adopt a Sea Turtle from a Conservation Program near Pankalan Bun

The BKSDA or Indonesian Nature Conservancy Agency last year established a sea turtle conservation program at Tanjung Keluang. A slender sandy promontory, stretching between the sheltered bay near Kubu prawning village and the mouth of the Kumai River, it is the beach chosen by sea turtles to lay their eggs from about March through to November. In the past, the eggs were disturbed by uncontrolled local tourism and the usual predators, monitor lizards and rats. Now a dedicated team from BKSDA regularly patrol the beach to keep zircon miners away, and to monitor nests. Many eggs are transferred to controlled hatcheries, safe from predators. Hatchlings are released in the sea before they reach the age of 4 months.

An adoption program there enabled Lorna and Gaye to release one of these feisty little survivors after he was comprehensively measured, weighed, named Rahai'i Pangun and placed on the beach heading inland! He rapidly found his direction and after his first sniff of the sea, intrepidly swam off.

There is no accommodation here, though a toilet and shower block has been constructed, and camping is permitted. A SIMAKSI Permit from BKSDA Office is Pankalan Bun is needed to visit.

KTD offers visits to Tanjung Keluang - ask us at wowborneo.com.



















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