Several dozen baby green sea turtles hatched at Taitung County’s Fushan Fish Reserve on Tuesday evening. A team of experts has since returned the baby turtles were returned to the ocean.
Recent years have seen a decline in the number of green sea turtles laying eggs on the island on Taiwan proper. The incubation rate has been low as well, and the number of successfully hatched turtles remains in the single digits.
Back in August, turtle experts spotted a green sea turtle laying eggs in Taitung County’s Fushan Fish Reserve. They stood guard and waited until the turtles finally hatched Tuesday. Thirty-six of the 90 eggs hatched, the largest number in many years. This was also the first time that turtle experts were able to document the entire green sea turtle reproduction process.
Turtle expert Cheng I-jiunn says the hatching rate shows that the environment in Taitung is suitable for the turtles, and that other turtles may arrive in the area to lay eggs in the future. He is calling on the government to step up coastal patrols around the reserve to protect the island’s few remaining sea turtle spawning areas.