HiguInfo- Home of Sea Turtles

These two baby green turtles were rescued by the researchers when they excavated the nest 3 days after the first group of hatchlings have emerged. Watching them crawl so hard, fighting for survival, really captured our hearts!

Yesterday morning, on August 6th, the first batch of the year 2012 of green turtle hatchlings emerged from their nest. Check it out!

1. Most of the activities will be conducted outdoors, mainly on the beach, please note the weather is usually very hot.

2. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a participating parent or legal guardian. Those between age 12 and 18 should be accompanied by a participating parent or legal guardian. If not, a written parental consent is required. 

3. Fee includes travel insurance (NT$2 million liability), with an additional NT$200,000 medical insurance, motorbike rental, snorkeling equipment rental, lecturer fee, interpreter fee, meals, accommodation and expenses related to the program (as indicated in the itinerary http://higuinfo.pixnet.net/blog/post/36789818). 

4. Motorbikes are the most common mode of transportation on Wangan, if you do not have a motorbike license or have any problems riding a motorbike, please let us know.

5. Registration fee does not include transportation from Taiwan to Penghu. Be sure to book your flight or ferry on your own. For information regarding transportation from Taiwan to Penghu, see http://higuinfo.pixnet.net/blog/category/643398

       We are a group of people who care about the marine environment and cultural assets of Taiwan, in particular Wangan, Penghu. The crew members of Higu Info (literally meaning information on sea turtles in Chinese) are from different backgrounds, including former sea turtle researchers, local fishermen, marine biologist, cultural workers, professional guides, and volunteers from TAMEE (Taiwan Association for Marine Environmental Education). Together, we hope to established a sustainable way for local people to maintain a stable livelihood; and at the same time, educate the tourists about our marine environment and the crisis our ocean is facing today. Thus we work hard to promote eco-tourism in Wangan. 

We have held over a hundred sessions of "Green Turtle Ecological Camp" over the course of 5 years, and more and more Taiwanese people now understands the attractiveness of Wangan. This year, we hope to share this amazing little island with foreign travellers.  

Therefore, we are organizing an English two-day tour for those who don't speak Chinese. During the tour, not only will you experience the lifestyle in a traditional fishing village, you will also learn about sea turtles from all aspects, envisage the wisdom and strong adaptive abilities of our ancestors through traditional Penghu architecture.

We welcome you and your friends to visit Wangan and participate in our exquisitely arranged camp!

1.   Hunting, killing, harassing, abusing sea turtles are strictly banned. Harvesting turtle eggs and disturbing nesting females are also strictly banned.

2.   Collection, removal or cutting of plants within the refuge is prohibited.

3.   Any action resulting in the degradation of habitat within the refuge is strictly prohibited. Actions resulting in habitat degradation and destruction include sand mining,    construction, garbage disposal, and etc.  

4.   During the nesting season, from May 1^st to October 31^st, beach entry is restricted during night time.

● Public access to the beach is restricted from 8pm to 5am next day. 

In Wangan, Penghu, mating of green turtles usually occurs between March and April, while females generally nest between May and October, with peak nesting occurring in July and August. The number of nests, or “clutches”, laid by females varies from one to nine, with an average of five nests, containing approximately 110 eggs per nest.

The eggs will be incubated for approximately 50 days before hatching. Like many reptiles, sex determination of sea turtles is dependent on the sand temperature during the third week to the fifth week of incubation. Temperatures higher than the “pivotal temperature” produce female hatchlings, while lower temperatures produce males. At the pivotal temperature, a sex ratio of 1:1 is produced.

Green turtle hatchlings are only 4-5 cm in carapace length. In most cases, all turtle eggs hatch at the same time, and 3 to 7 days after hatching, all hatchlings will slowly scramble their way up to the surface. To avoid predators, they usually emerge from the sand during nightfall or dawn. Their emergence is gauged on a cooling sand temperature. When hatchlings emerge from the sand, they look for the brightest horizon, which should be the seaward horizon, with or without the moon. As they reach the seawater, they will swim offshore for at least 24 hours nonstop, dodging every predator imaginable. They have many predators, thus survival rate is low. It is estimated that less than one in a thousand hatchlings will make it to the adult stage.

Before hatchlings grow to become juveniles of 20-30 cm in length, they live a pelagic life, taking shelter in floating sargassum mats, feeding on planktons. When green turtles reach the juvenile stage, they will return to coastal waters, start their benthic life in an area where seagrass and algae are abundant to feed on, and continue to mature. These areas usually co-occur with coral reefs, thus we may often find them in coral reef areas. Matured adult green turtles are usually more than 90 cm in length.

Studies indicate that green turtles that have reached sexual maturity do not mate nor breed every year. Interval between nesting seasons is from 3 to 5 years. Males and females will migrate from their foraging ground to nesting areas to breed. One female will mate with multiple males, and store the sperm in its body for later fertilization. This is why females nest multiple clutches during a nesting season. Only females will come ashore to lay eggs, usually in the same area where they were born. 

Distribution

Leatherback turtles have the widest distribution of all sea turtles, found globally from 60-70°N to 48°S latitude. They’re amazing deep divers as well, can dive to depths of more than 1000 meters.

Description

Unlike other sea turtles, leatherback’s carapace is leathery and flexible, with five to seven longitudinal ridges running the length of the carapace. Color range from black to dark blue, with lighter spots. It takes a juvenile leatherback 30 years to reach sexual maturity. Without the restriction of a hard, bony shell, they are the largest sea turtle. A matured adult can weigh 300-1000 kg, with carapace 1.3-2.5 meters in length.

Ecology

Distribution

The olive ridley turtle is globally distributed, mainly occurring in tropical waters, with distribution ranging from 35°N to 30°S latitude.

Description

Olive ridley’s appearance is that of a typical sea turtle, with a pale green carapace that is slightly heart-shaped. The central scutes on the carapace are smalI, flanked by 6 or more pairs of costal scutes. There is a pore on each of the last four pairs of costal scutes, with unknown function. It takes a juvenile olive ridley 12 to 30 years to reach sexual maturity. A matured adult weigh approximately 100 kg, with carapace 62-72 cm in length.

Ecology

Distribution

The hawksbill turtle is circumtropical, usually occurring in coral reef areas in tropical and subtropical waters, with distribution ranging from 45°N to 38°S latitude.

Description

Hawksbill’s appearance is that of a typical sea turtle. Its carapace is composed of five central scutes, flanked by four pairs of costal scutes. Scutes overlap on carapace, which is unique to this species. The dorsal surface of its head has two pairs of prefrontal scales. It is named for its narrow head and bird-like beak. The carapace is brightly colored with intricate patterns, and the ventral side is yellow. It’s one of the smaller species, a matured adult weigh approximately 80 kg, with carapace 75-85 cm in length.

Ecology

Distribution

The loggerhead turtle is globally distributed, with a distribution range from 62°N to 45°S latitude. They are the only species of sea turtle with nesting beaches in the temperate region.

Description

Its appearance is that of a typical sea turtle, with a slightly heart-shaped carapace. Its carapace is composed of five central scutes, flanked by five pairs of costal scutes; scutes do not overlap. Compared to other sea turtle species, its head/jaw is larger in proportion to the body. Loggerhead’s massive head and strong crushing jaw enables it to feed on benthic crustaceans and molluscs. Usually they are reddish-brown in color, but may be olive colored. It takes a juvenile loggerhead turtle 12 to 30 years to reach sexual maturity. A matured adult usually weigh approximately 200 kg, with carapace length up to 1.2 meters.

Ecology

Distribution

The green turtle is globally distributed and mainly found in tropical and subtropical waters. Though its distribution range span from 55°N to 46°S latitude.

Description

Its appearance is that of a typical sea turtle, with a dorsoventrally flattened body. Its carapace is composed of five central scutes, flanked by four pairs of costal scutes. Scutes do no overlap. Different from its close relative, hawksbill turtle, the dorsal surface of its head has only a single pair of prefrontal scales. Color range from brown to black, some may be spotted or marbled with variegated patterns. It takes a juvenile green turtle 20 to 50 years to reach sexual maturity. A matured adult usually weigh more than 100 kg, with carapace length longer than 1 meter.

Ecology

Sea turtles are characterized by a large, streamlined shell (carapace), and non-retractable head and flippers. In all species except the leatherback, the body is covered with hard, keritinized plates called "scutes". The number and arrangement of scutes on the carapace and head are used to identify between the species. Their colors range from pale green to almost black. Jaw shape reflects adaptation to its diet, thus varies between different species.

Of the seven species of sea turtles now existing in the world, 5 are found in Taiwan waters. These are green turtle, loggerhead, hawksbill, olive ridley and leatherbacks. Among these species, the green turtle is the most abundant and the only species that is still nesting in islands of Taiwan these days.