A team of DMCR officials joined a village chief assistant (Phu Chuay Phu Yai Baan) of Moo 3 Baan Koh Ra yesterday (May 4) to inspect the turtle nest, laid on the sand at Fai Wab Bay.
From the tracks in the sand officials estimated the turtle to measure 130cm from flipper tip to flipper tip, with a shell some 40cm wide.
The officers did not speculate what species of turtle had laid the eggs.
A DMCR report of the inspection said that the number of eggs in the nest had not been determined, but noted that the nest was 51cm deep, and the eggs were 3.9cm long.
As the nest was laid high enough from the high tide mark, the officials have decided to leave the eggs where they have been laid and to not disturb the nest further so the eggs can hatch naturally.
Local authorities and members of the DMCR’s Marine Protection Volunteer Network will keep an eye on the nest so the eggs are not disturbed, the DMCR noted.