Along the sandy shores of Penang National Park, the Penang Turtle Sanctuary exists as a safe haven for sea turtles.
The government-funded conservation center is in the national park, on the beautiful Kerachut Beach. It was created to help preserve and protect Malaysia‘s declining population of turtles. Among its many contributions, the main focus is promoting the survival of hatchlings.
For many years, Kerachut Beach has been a refuge for turtles to come during the night to hatch their eggs. It takes around sixty days before the little ones finally emerge from the shell. Soon after, the babies start making their way to the sweeping currents in the area.
If you haven’t seen the videos before, it’s a spectacular scene!
There are sometimes hundreds of turtles hatching at a time. However, it’s not all fun and games. Predators of the babies are abundant at this vulnerable stage. And yes, that does include humans.
That’s where the workers at Penang Turtle Sanctuary come in. They protect the eggs from threats for those sixty days and keep the little ones safe until they’re old enough to brave the wild.
If you’re lucky, you can see a few swimming around at the sanctuary. It’s also common to see nursing juveniles and adults. Besides its focal point on helping youngsters survive in nature, the Penang Turtle Sanctuary also assists in the rehabilitation of injured seniors.
Remember | Please don’t touch the turtles when you’re there, human contact isn’t healthy for their recovery.
THE TWO TURTLE-HATCHING SEASONS AT PENANG TURTLE SANCTUARY
Four of the seven sea turtle species in the world call the Malaysian waters their home. Of those four, there are two who frequently climb the white sandy shore of Kerachung Beach.
Green Sea Turtles | Usually come from late spring to early summer (Northern Hemisphere).
Olive Ridley Turtles Stay from the middle of summer and on through winter.
Along with the Green and Olive Ridley Turtles, the conservation center has information about the other two Malaysian sea turtle species – Hawksbill and Leatherback.
It might be a simple little center, but it’s quite knowledgeable!
TAKE A HIKE THROUGH THE PENANG NATIONAL PARK
There are two ways to get to the Penang Turtle Sanctuary, by boat and by foot.
If you are into hiking or the outdoors, I suggest walking through the shady jungle that makes up most of Penang National Park. It’s a stunning rainforest with a diverse wildlife.
Bring plenty of water if you go trekking through the park. Malaysia is plenty humid, so you’ll surely have a sweat going before reaching “Turtle Beach.”
You’ll first have to sign in at the entrance gates to the national park. From there you can take one of two routes. The first is along the coast, and the second is through a canopy walkway. The rainforest here is prone to mudslides and fallen trees, so don’t be surprised if one of the paths is closed.
THE MEROMICTIC LAKE
Emerging from the pathway leading to the turtle sanctuary you’ll notice a wooden bridge. This takes you over one of only a handful of meromictic lakes in Asia.
If you didn’t know, a meromictic lake has layers of water that don’t mix together. This one happens to have a layer of freshwater (from rainfall) and a layer of saltwater from the ocean.
These lakes are rare natural phenomena, where only specific flora and fauna can live. It’s a bonus to see something so unique next to a beach known for turtles hatching!
The combination of the two makes the Penang Turtle Sanctuary a must-visit when exploring Penang Island.
Warning | Don’t swim in the water here. It is known for its strong undercurrent and loads of jellyfish. There are absolutely no, lifeguards around and oftentimes, no people.
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