The West - Sri Lanka - page 194

HATCHING TURTLES

Five species of sea turtles lay eggs along the coasts of Sri Lanka. The green turtle is the
most common, followed by the olive ridley and the hawksbill. The leatherback and logger-
head are both huge, reaching 2m or more in length. During what should be long lives (if
they don't end up in a net or soup pot), female turtles make numerous visits to the south
coast to lay eggs in the sand of the same beach where they themselves were born. A few
weeks later, hundreds of baby turtles make a perilous journey back to the water.
Most of the tiny turtles are quickly gobbled up by birds, fish, people and other critters
with gullets. And many never hatch at all, since human egg-poachers work overtime to
satisfy the demand for turtle omelettes. However, the turtle hatcheries on the coast
around Bentota and Kosgoda claim to increase the odds for the turtles by paying locals
for the eggs at a rate slightly above that which they would fetch on the market. The eggs
are then incubated by the hatchery. After a short stay in a tank (supposedly for protec-
tion against parasites, although many biologists say these tanks actually increase disease
and parasite infection), the babies are released under the cover of darkness (in the wild,
the babies also emerge at night).
The reality of the situation is that the turtle hatcheries might be doing more damage
than good. When a baby turtle hatches it retains a part of the yolk from the egg, which
acts as a vital energy source when the turtles first swim out to sea. By keeping the babies
for even a very short time in a tank, they do not gain the benefit of this first food source. In
addition, mature female turtles like to return to the beach where they hatched in order to
lay their own eggs: if they have been born in captivity, they will not have obtained a 'mag-
netic imprint' of their beach of birth and thus they are thought to be unable to return to
shore to lay their eggs. For a truly sustainable turtle conservation effort, it's better that
the eggs are simply left on the beach where they were laid and given protection there. For
more on this see www.srilankaecotourism.com/turtle_hatchery_threat.htm.
Although the conservation benefits of the hatcheries are limited, there's no denying
that the turtles are awfully cute and make for an entertaining visit. Visits rarely last more
than about 20 minutes. Expect to see babies, as well as adults, who have been injured by
nets or in other calamities. Many environmental groups recommend you do not visit the
hatcheries around Bentota area.

Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project ZOO
( 091-226 4567;admission Rs 500; 8.30am-6pm)