Nesting Information

History of Turtle Conservation in Sabah I Nesting Areas I Nesting Information I The Hatcheries I Life Cycle I Some Do's and Don'ts

The green turtle (Chalonia mydas) and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) lay their eggs throughout the year with the best month being from July to October when their numbers increase. They normally come ashore after 7.30p.m. but have also been observed nesting between 5 to 6 in the morning. The time it takes for the turtle to emerge from the sea until when it conceals its eggs with sand is usually about an hour. It selects and clears its nesting site and using its rear flippers, digs a pit 12 to 18 inches deep. It then lays a clutch of 40 to 190 eggs into the pit and carefully conceals it by covering it with sand before returning to the sea. During the eggs laying process the eyes of the turtle are covered by a colourless mucus which prevents dehydration and also to keep out from any sand.