The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources reported that the nest was found on Monday (Dec 18).
Bandit Leebamrung, a resident of Baan Bo Dan, informed the Marine Resources Conservation Division and the Mangrove Forest Resource Conservation Center No. 10 (Takua Pa, Phang Nga), the DMCR said in its report.
Officers arrived at the beach to find turtle tracks in the sand. The turtle was estimated to have a shell 56cm wide and a flipper span of 170cm.
The nest was found buried 60cm deep into the sand. A total of 125 eggs were found, with 91 of them deemed to be fertilsed, and 34 of them ‘hollow’.
The location of the nest was at the high tide mark, and as there was evidence of beach erosion nearby, the officers moved the nest just eight metres further up the beach from where the mother turtle laid them.
A temporary enclosure was created to protect against threats from reptiles, and there will be a public relations campaign and work with volunteers to protect the sea, the DMCR said.
“Coastal community networks, community leaders and local government organisations will be called on to help monitor and protect the nest until the eggs complete their incubation and the turtles hatch and enter the sea safely,” the DMCR reported.
“This will take approximately 55-60 days,” the DMCR added.
National park officers at the Khao Lampi-Hat Thai Mueang National Park in Thai Muang District, earlier this month reported the first turtle nest found in that area for this egg-laying season.
That nest finding followed a clutch of turtle eggs found at Khao Pilai Beach in Khok Kloi, just four kilometres from the northern tip of Phuket, on Nov 21. That nest followed a turtle nest found at the same beach on Nov 11.
In both cases, DMCR marine biologists were unable to determine which species of turtle laid the eggs.