Green Turtles of the Derawan Islands: Indonesia

I have already seen my fair share of the Indonesian archipelago and there are many places I have yet to see and explore. Whenever I read of a place that I haven't been to then it is instantly put on the must-see list.

Exploring Indonesia is exciting and culturally enlightening. People often say to me that it is so expensive. Not really true. If you travel as the locals do then it can be relatively inexpensive. Travel by local bus or inter-city buses, catch ferries when island hopping and board trains. Not only are these sources of transport easy and efficient, you get to interact with the locals of the island you are visiting. You will learn more about the area you are travelling in and get first hand info on the places to see and those to avoid.

I was pleased to read an article in the JP written by Muninggar Sri Saraswati about a place I have yet to explore - the Derawan islands:

Located on the coastal shelf of East Kalimantan in the Sulawesi Sea the Derawan islands are known as one of the most biodiversity-rich hotspots in the world. However a variety of manmade threats endanger its beauty. The Berau administration has declared its total area of 1.27 million hectares a marine conservancy region. It hopes to slow down the rate of environmental destruction.

The Berau administration in East Kalimantan uses it as its symbol despite the rich diversity of sea creatures and coral reefs in the Derawan islands.

The sea turtle and in particularly the green turtle is the star of the islands. You can easily spot a sea turtle swimming in the clear water in daylight. If you jump into the water the chances are you will be swimming with several of them.

The Derawan islands have served as a nesting and feeding area for an abundance of sea turtles, particularly green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Erethmochelys imbricata).

The green turtle was once common in the warm oceans of the world but has become increasingly scarce in areas where it is commercially exploited.

As a gentle vegetarian the species feed mainly on sea grasses and algae that are widely available in the Derawan sea.
The hard-shelled marine turtles can weigh 150 kilograms and reach over 100 centimeters in length while their hatchlings are a mere five centimeters long. Elegant and tenacious swimmers they are believed to live up to 100 years.

Just like other sea turtles, green turtles have an incredible sense of direction. However they need to expend a lot of energy when on land. Only female turtles have to do that. When 10 to 20 years old the female turtles return to the sandy beaches where they were born to lay their eggs there.

A female can be fertilized by several males. Thereafter the female comes ashore about three to five times within a period of 10 to 15 days to build a nest and lay about 100 eggs each time.
If lucky, you could observe turtles laying their eggs either on Derawan or Sangalaki islands. On the latter about 20 female turtles lay their eggs there daily. Nonetheless this adds up to a large quantity.

They usually lay their eggs at night to avoid the heat. After dragging themselves across the beach to find a suitable spot a turtle will dig a hollow in the sand using its flippers. They cover the hollow after laying their eggs and make a fake hollow to deceive predators before returning to the sea. The process can take hours.

Green sea turtles can swim over 1,000 kilometers and cross oceans to reach their place of birth-cum-nesting site.
The hatchlings rise to the surface after about 60 days. Soon after they emerge on the beach they encounter the most dangerous period of their lives. They have to run the gauntlet of crabs, birds, octopuses and large fish. They are also prone to starvation or illness. Only about one or two of 1,000 hatchlings survive and grow into adult turtles.

However, once fully grown only two enemies are left: sharks and humans.

Local fishermen in the Derawan islands do not catch the turtles for their meat, skin or calipee (part of the shell used in traditional medicine). However they do harvest their eggs. An egg could fetch Rp 3,500 to Rp 5,000.

The Berau administration has now banned egg sales. A number of non-governmental organizations have also united to set up a joint program to protect the turtles.

All sea turtles are listed in Appendix 1 of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), an international agreement between governments. Appendix I lists species that are the most endangered of CITES-listed animals and plants.

Green sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered throughout their habitat.