Large majority of leatherback turtle eggs fail to hatch at Mai Khao

In total, nearly 80% of the 106 eggs failed to hatch.

Officers from the Marine National Park Operation Centre 2 reported that at 5am on Saturday (Mar 6) two baby turtles had made their way from the nest to the surface of the sand and scrambled their way to the water’s edge.

With no other baby turtles surfacing, the officers removed the sand from above the nest to see whether any other baby turtles needed help making their way to the sea, reported Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) officers at the scene.

Marine wildlife officers helped release a further six turtles to the open water, and took five eggs into special care – but left nine eggs to hatch still in the nest.

The DMCR officers reported that of the total 106 eggs in the nest, 84 of the eggs will never hatch.

Of the 84 eggs, five eggs contained formed turtles that failed to hatch, six eggs failed to fully develop, 45 eggs failed to develop at all and 28 of the eggs were hollow.

Officers still have one more nest, an olive ridley turtle nest, on Mai Khao Beach under their protection. The nest is expected to hatch on April 5.

According to a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department of Thailand (PR Phuket), the reward for being the first person to report a turtle nest to officials is still being honoured.

The two people who reported the leatherback nest and the police ridley turtle nest on Mai Khao Beach each received B20,000 for reporting the nests at a small ceremony led by Thalang District Chief Suwit Suriyawong, PR Phuket reported.