They call these the Turtle Islands for good reason. Selingan Island is a short ferry journey from the ‘mainland’, which, in this case, is another island! Located just off of Borneo’s northern tip, this unique and aptly named national park serves to protect green and hawksbill turtles.
We’d come here for a chance to see them up. Our itinerary was a mere 24 hours long – but turtle sightings were guaranteed!
After landing, we spent the afternoon on a tour of the facilities. On-site biologists explained how some egg clutches are collected and incubated as part of an ongoing conservation effort. Dozens of turtle facts peppered the presentation.
“What makes a boy turtle? Anybody know?”
Temperature determines the sex of a turtle hatchling: cooler sands produce more males. Turtles share this characteristic, called temperature sex determination, with only a handful of other reptiles. Part of the research at Selingan Island is about how climate change is affecting the proportion of male and female turtles: work that’s never been more crucial.
After the sun sank into the Sulu Sea, we had dinner with the half-dozen or so other visitors. We spoke in hushed tones, glancing furtively at the clock and out the windows. There was a heady air of anticipation: all of us were waiting for the call.
Finally, it came! We all donned headlamps or grabbed torches, and headed out to the beach with the conservationists. There, on the sand, was a large green turtle female! She was returning to the place where she hatched to lay her own clutch of eggs. Green turtles mature around age 30, and conduct egg-laying migrations every 2-5 years after that: making this a rare and special moment.
The privilege of observing the egg-laying act is hard to describe. It’s a very intimate moment. Eyes half-shut, the female seemed to be almost in a trance as she dug deep in the sand with her flippers. Many more eggs than I thought possible squeezed from her ovipositor into the damp sand. Her final act was to push sand over the nest, protecting her future offspring from predation. Then she returned down the slant of the beach, leaving an unmistakable turtle trail to the surf.
And our evening was not yet over! Next, we joined another research team for the release of some hatchlings. For this, it was especially important for everyone to dim their headlights or switch to red light. Sea turtles navigate by light of the moon, and can lose their way in the presence of artificial light.
Brought out in baskets, their tiny bodies wriggled for the sea already. A strong biological imperative saw these tiny green turtles working their flippers back and forth before they even touched the sand! We watched as they were released – and occasionally got to help a little wanderer back on course!
It was a thoroughly delightful and satisfying evening, and we went to bed content. The next morning, we set out for one last, sandy stroll before boarding the ferry. We did not anticipate any more turtle activity. But we found that we were not alone on the beach!
A lone green turtle hatchling was wriggling its way toward the gently lapping waves in the early morning light. We stood and bore witness to the beginning of a great journey, wishing this lovely little creature all the luck in the world. If we can collectively play our cards right, she and her cohort will be back in a few decades to begin the cycle anew.
Want to see more of this amazing animal adventure? Here are more photos from our adventure! Want to know more about green turtles or visiting Selingan Island? Get the facts here!