More than 100 green sea turtle hatchlings made their way from the beach to the sea at Kenting National Park on Saturday, the fourth time this year that sea turtles have nested in Kenting.
Kenting National Park Headquarters worked with ecological volunteers to monitor the site, safeguarding the hatchlings as they crawled to the sea.
The park’s Conservation Department said that the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) is a popular site for sea turtle nesting, with increasing numbers of turtles laying eggs there in the past few years.
Photo courtesy of a reader
It is not easy for sea turtles to come ashore and lay eggs, so timing is precious, the department said.
Residents and businesses have participated in conservation courses, cooperated with conservation efforts and shown respect for the marine environment, allowing this part of the ocean to continue nurturing life, it said.
Green sea turtles have an innate sense of direction, returning to the beach they were born to lay eggs even though they have moved or traveled hundreds or even thousands of kilometers to forage for food, the park said.
With sea turtles nesting in Kenting more frequently in the past few years, the park said it is hopeful that the area’s sea turtle population would one day rival that of Siaoliouciou Island (小琉球).
Residents said they are hoping for the birth of more turtles, as another nest has shown clear signs of crawl marks, although hatchlings have yet to be spotted.
The park works with the Ocean Conservation Administration to inspect nesting sites, ensuring that eggs are not disturbed by humans, light pollution or climate change.
People should follow the “five noes” when they encounter sea turtles: Do not touch, harass, feed, chase or harm them, it said.
People who discover a stranded or struggling sea turtle can call the Coast Guard Administration’s number, 118, it said.
Local conservationists said tourists should avoid beaches where turtles nest at night and limit light usage to ensure that hatchlings do not get lost due to light pollution.
After playing on the beach, visitors should even out the sand and remove all trash to clear the path for hatchlings to crawl to the sea, they said.
Aside from working with volunteers, residents and businesses to protect the area, the park said it would continue to promote environmental education and conservation efforts.
The latest sea turtle hatching is a testament to the recovery of Kenting’s marine ecology, it added.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS