It's been quite some time since I updated my blog...Firstly, I was kinda busy with my own personal work....had lots of unfinished work at campus..and secondly, the main topic of this blog-Chagar Hutang..
23/7-30/7, 2006- I enrolled myself into this volunteer programme for conserving sea turtles organised by SEATRU(Sea Turtle Research Unit). Well, there's only one word to express my feelings towards this mind blowing place- EXTRAVAGANZA...
Man, living on this no man's island without electricity and fancy facilities was really an unforgetable experience....The real work starts during the night..We had to be on the beach the whole night from 8pm till 6am, sometimes working on shifts...We had to wait for the turtles to land...once they land, the mother would survey the area 1st..looking for any abnormalities..If all is fine, she would then find a nice spot, where she would 1st start to body pit..this process could take somewhere between 30-45 minutes. Later after body pitting, she will start to dig the egg chamber using her hind flipers. during this time, we had to be extra carefull cause, if we were to make any noise or movements, she would simply abandon that spot and start to find for a new spot to lay her eggs...the moment she starts to lay her eggs, we would slowly approach her, gently push her hind flippers apart to expose her egg chamber. Then, we would drop a string attached to a coral into the egg chamber, as to help relocate the exact spot, she layed her eggs. A stick with the required retails would be placed rite behind the egg chamber.
Later once she's finished laying her eggs, she will start to cover up the chamber..This is when where the real work starts...We would then hold on to her front flippers and take the serial number attached to her tag, if she doesn;t have a tag, then its obvious that its her 1st visit over there...so we will have to tag her then...later the measurements of her carapace will be taken (length and width)..any deformitites on her carapace will be observed, and barnacles attached to her will be removed. After that, she would then sand bath for almost 45 minutes before moving back into the sea....
Wow, the experience I had over there, is simply wonderfull...sleeping on the beach waiting for the turtles...staring at the sky filled with glittering and shimmering stars..not forgetting the catchy shooting stars...I've not seen that many shooting stars in my entire life...In one night, we would definitely be able to see nothing less than 50 shooting stars....
The experience I had at Chagar Hutang will always be one of my best memories....I've fallen in love in these prehistoric ancient reptiles...
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