Guardians of Pantai Pasir Panjang
LUMUT: It was a beautiful night to go on a motorcycle ride, with the sky full of stars, to the beach.
But you had to go through a 20-minute journey in an oil palm plantation with uneven paths and nothing to accompany you, apart from the sound of the engine and the light from your machine.
Meet Nurul Fadzly Mohd Yusof, better known as Matli among villagers, who has been religiously going to Pantai Pasir Pan- jang in Teluk Senan- gin, Lumut, to collect green turtle eggs to be delivered to the Segari turtle conservation centre.
Such is the dedication showed by the 33-year-old, who is doing his part to save the endangered species. He says he only spends three nights at home on any given month.
“If I don’t do it, who will? I have a few youth here helping me.
“Most nights, I go there to check the 58 nests identified along the 10km beach.
“We ride together on a motorcycle and park near the beach. From there, we take a slow walk and check the nests.”
Fadzly and his team would make sure that there would be at least one person standing by at the beach for fear of illegal turtle egg harvesters.
“If we don’t go to the beach and collect the eggs, they might get stolen by wild animals, like lizards, or unscrupulous individuals who either aim to sell them in the black market or consume them.
“We normally keep the eggs in a container and send them to the Segari Turtle sanctuary some 20km away the next day,” he told the New Sunday Times, adding that his routine starts from 10pm till dawn.
Upon discovering a nest with eggs, he would carefully collect and place them in a container.
“If it gets too late, I would mark the nest and catch a snooze nearby to make sure no one comes to steal them.
“As soon as dawn comes, I will collect the eggs and send them to the sanctuary,” he said.
He said there were nights when he would use his boat instead, taking less than five minutes from Kampung Teluk Senangin to the beach.
While waiting for the magic to happen, Fadzly said he would sometimes go fishing.
How is the number of nestings significant to turtle conservation efforts?
Fadzly said turtles, being a shy species, were very selective of where they laid eggs and would always return to their homes.
“This means that if they have laid eggs here, they will definitely come back the next season.
“However, if there are too many disturbances, like development or a dirty environment, they will be discouraged from doing so. That’s when we see a decline in the population.
“So, it is crucial to protect these beaches, not only from poachers, but also from being overly developed,” he said.