Giant Leatherback Turtle Lays Nearly 200 Eggs on Thai Mueang Beach

Officials at Khao Lampi–Thai Mueang National Park received encouraging news at the start of the rainy season after a massive leatherback sea turtle came ashore to nest on Thai Mueang Beach, widely known as “Turtle Beach.”

The rare visit from a leatherback turtle, scientifically classified as Dermochelys coriacea, was recorded shortly after midnight on May 22. Images released by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) showed marine specialists successfully locating and microchipping the animal during the nesting event.

According to officials, the turtle laid a total of 199 eggs. Of those, 99 were confirmed to be viable, while another 20 were found to be unfertilized. Conservation teams later relocated the eggs to a safer protected area to improve the chances of successful hatching.

Leatherback turtles typically require around 60 days of incubation before hatchlings emerge.

The previous confirmed nesting site involving a leatherback turtle was discovered in mid-January at Thung Dab Beach. Before that, sightings of the giant turtles had been absent from the area for approximately a year, despite a noticeable increase in nesting activity in the period immediately following the pandemic.

Leatherback turtles are the largest sea turtles in the world and are considered a vulnerable species in many parts of the globe. Their nesting activity along Thailand’s Andaman coast is closely monitored by environmental authorities and conservation groups.