Park officials with officers from the 2nd Marine National Park Operations Center in Phuket, based at Sirinat National Park on Phuket’s west coast, confirmed the finding yesterday (Dec 8).
Tracks in the sand were found on the beach in Laem Kaen, at the northern end of Thai Muang Beach, at 12:05am.
Later in the morning after rain had stopped, officers from Khao Lampi - Hat Thai Mueang National Park found the tracks and determined that they had been made by a leatherback turtle.
Although the rain had caused the tracks to fade a little, the officers reported that the turtle would have had a shell about 50-55cm wide with a flipper span of about 160-170cm.
The officers searched along the tracks until they found the nest, buried some 60cm deep into the sand.
Of the 118 eggs found, 84 were deemed to be fertile, 34 were hollow.
As the nest was at risk of flooding by seawater during high tide, the officers moved the eggs to a sealed-off, protected site near the tourist service centre at the beach.
Officials are to watch over and protect the eggs from natural predators, and people, until they hatch naturally.
The eggs are expected to hatch sometime between Feb 1-10 next year.