Thailand Patches Up Tsunami-Battered Turtles
Date: 11-Jan-05
Country: THAILAND
Author: Crispian Balmer
When it reaches the water, it stops for a moment, then silently slips into the turquoise Andaman Sea.
The rare male turtle, weighing some 150 kg (330 lb) and believed to be 30 years old, is lucky to have survived.
Marine biologists fear that the endangered ocean creatures might have been pushed one step closer to extinction by the killer waves that wrought havoc along the Thai coast on Dec. 26.
"It's too early to tell the full impact, but this is certainly not going to help," said Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, a biologist at the Phuket marine biological centre.
The green turtle was discovered 1 km (1,000 yards) inland by soldiers seeking survivors from the tsunami and transported to the marine centre on the popular tourist island of Phuket.
Kongkiat's team used fibre glass to patch up a wound to its scales and pumped the animal with vitamins and medicine.
On Monday, it was time to return it to the sea at the Tablamu navy base, 100 km (60 miles) north of Phuket, close to where the soldiers found it.
"It is very nice to release such a big turtle like that, especially a male one. We never see any males such as this coming to the land," said Kongkiat as he watched the turtle go.
At least 26 green turtles were discovered marooned by the tsunami and all but two have now been returned to sea.
SATELLITE TRACKING
Taking advantage of the disaster, biologists have attached satellite tracking systems to the shells of the turtles to enable them to understand their feeding and breeding habits better -- something that might help save the species.
"We have never been able to attach an antenna to a male green turtle before so this should really help our understanding of how and where they live," said Kongkiat.
On the down side, the tsunami also swept away 20 out of 30 Olive Ridley turtles from breeding tanks at the Phuket marine centre and biologists do not know if they survived.
Marine turtles are among the world's most ancient creatures, with a fossil record going back 150 million years.
Some biologists believe they first appeared on Earth as much as 230 million years ago, but hunting and pollution are pushing some breeds to the edge of extinction.
The green turtle, named after the greenish colour of its body fat, is especially sought after for its meat and the gelatinous substance found under its shell, which is made into soup.
Kongkiat's team fears the sea turtles might have suffered from the tsunami more than other marine life because they swim slowly and need to surface regularly for oxygen.
The also worry the destruction inflicted on parts of the Thai coastline might hurt the nesting season which is now in full swing, with female turtles deterred from laying eggs by the debris or by the steep sand banks created by the waves.
But amidst the gloom, there is some light.
Three years after leatherback turtles last laid eggs on Phuket, one female has returned and nested.
Some conservationists say the animal might have been encouraged to come ashore thanks to the fact that the tsunami destroyed hundreds of fishing boats and hurt tourism, bringing an expected calm to waters around the island.
"We are very, very excited by this," said Kongkiat.