TURTLES CHOOSE LOMBOK LUXURY

All of us here at The Lombok Lodge Hospitality are excited to share that this year’s first sea turtle nests at the new Private Villa Estate by The Lombok Lodge Hospitality have been laid 19th of June! The turtle nest has been adopted by Pak Ketut, gardener at The Lombok Lodge Hospitality since 2010. Hatchlings will be released to the sea in September 2023.

CELEBRATING LOMBOK’S FIRST VISITORS – SEA TURTLES

Turtles have long symbolized longevity, endurance, persistence, and the continuation of life. In the “The NeverEnding Story,” it was Morla, “Looney Tunes” called him Cecil, “Crush and Squirt” helped find Nemo and the world was taken by storm in the 1980s by the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Turtles are beloved through history in legend and popular culture.

Long before the first humans visited Lombok, sea turtles were among its first visitors along its shores. The majestic Leatherback, Green, Loggerhead and Hawksbill sea turtles, have been nesting on Lombok’s beaches for centuries. Nesting and hatching season varies upon species and in total, ranges from March through November. Last month the first Leatherback nest this season was laid! Let’s Celebrate Lombok’s first visitors!

THE NESTING PROCESS

Sea turtles mature after about 20 years. Leatherback sea turtles undertake the longest migrations between breeding and feeding areas of any sea turtle, some averaging 3,700 miles each way. They dutifully return to the beach where they were born when they nest. They lay an average of seven nests in one season with each nest averaging 80 eggs, After an incubation period of 55 to 75 days, hatchlings emerge from the sand and make their way to sea, often using moonlight as their guide.

The nesting season runs from March through September. Hatchling takes place from May to November.

The nesting process consists of several stages. The female turtle emerges from the sea at night and ascends the beach, searching for a suitable nesting site (somewhere dark and quiet). Once at the chosen nesting site, she begins to dig a body pit by using all four flippers.

Nesting is an ancient ritual for female sea turtles. Every year or two they return to the same beach where they were born to lay their eggs, and this is the only time they will spend on land. They make their way up the beach, past high tide, and find a place to lay their eggs. Once they find their spot, they use their back flippers to dig a nest in the sand. This whole process of digging the nest and laying her eggs usually takes between one to three hours. Once she is done, the mother turtle will slowly take herself back to the ocean.

Usually, turtles lay their first clutch of eggs about three to six weeks after mating. Once the eggs have been laid in their nest, it takes them about 45 to 70 days (2 to 3 months) for the turtles to hatch. Once the turtles have hatched, the hatchlings remain in their nest cavity after hatching to absorb the yolk from the eggs. After the yolk sac has been absorbed, the hatchlings emerge to begin their own journey and make their way into the ocean.

FAST FACTS

Did you know that research has shown that the sex of the embryo can be dependent on the temperature of the nest? Did You Know Sea Turtles use the earth’s magnetic field to guide them on their long journeys at sea? Did you know Sea Turtles do not nest every year, but rather every 2-5 years? Did you know that it is estimated that only 1 in 1000 hatchlings survives to maturity as hatchlings can also die of hydration if they don’t make it to the ocean fast enough? Did you know all species of sea turtles are endangered and need our protection?

Depending on the species and size of the turtle, a clutch will contain between 80-180 eggs, and during the nesting season, the female turtles will typically lay between six and ten clutches of eggs. In most turtle species, eggs are laid annually, with a few species laying eggs every other year, and some laying eggs twice in one nesting season. The sea turtles generally nest in three to four-year cycles.

Some turtles, such as Leatherback Sea Turtles, lay around 110 eggs per clutch, whereas other turtles will only lay around 50, such as the Asian Giant Softshell Turtle.

Turtle nests are located in the sand if the mother is a sea turtle, and in dirt and along the sides of river banks and areas near swamps or ponds if the mother is a freshwater turtle. Sea turtles usually nest near where they themselves hatched – within 5 to 35 miles of their own hatching sites.

They tend to dig their nests in the summer months, typically June or July, and some species will even go as far as to dig a number of holes so they can act as ‘false nests’ to deter predators from the real nest. After laying eggs in the hole and covering them with dirt or sand, the mother turtle leaves.

There are many predators that prey on eggs and hatchlings, the main ones being fish, dogs, seabirds, raccoons, and ghost crabs. Due to the multitude of predators, more than 90% of hatchlings are eaten before they can reach adulthood. Flatback turtle nests are in danger of being preyed on by monitor lizards, dingoes, and foxes.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER HATCHING

After hatching, the newly born turtles may take between 3 to 7 days to dig their way to the surface, and they will usually wait until night to emerge from the nest. By emerging at night, they are less exposed to daytime predators and are less likely to get dehydrated. On some occasions, nests will produce hatchlings on more than one night!

After sea turtles hatch, the babies will crawl clumsily into the ocean and swim out to sea. But what happens after these baby turtles swim off is not exactly known. Scientists refer to this period in the turtle’s life as the ‘lost years’ because they don’t have concrete evidence of what happens to them.

Scientists are trying to find out though by tagging and tracking baby turtles via satellite. From the results they have published, it seems that baby turtles spend their adolescent years traversing long distances, floating in seaweed beds, and hanging out at the ocean surface. Because they want to avoid predators like sharks and seabirds, the baby turtles will likely stay away from the continental shelf. Scientists also believe that floating communities in giant mats of seaweed might be a good place for baby turtles to hide and blend in to avoid predation.

To conserve energy, some turtles can catch a ride in streams or in heavy currents, taking them far away from where they were hatched. As well as that, turtles are cold-blooded and the temperature in the ocean can vary a lot, so if things get too cold for them, their metabolism is able to slow down. If turtles can manage to stay warm, their metabolism kicks in and they start feeding more, meaning they grow faster, so the temperature can also help turtles grow and survive.

SAVE THE PLANET

Due to changes in the global climate, the temperatures that turtle encounter will likely shift and change, and there may also be changes in the ocean circulation patterns too. This could be dangerous for young turtles.

To help protect sea turtles and their habitats it is important that we reduce marine debris that may entangle or be accidentally eaten by the turtles. We can also participate in coastal clean-ups and reduce plastic use to keep our beaches and oceans clean. In addition to that, it is important in our everyday life that we are reducing waste as much as possible, such as by using reusable water bottles and shopping bags.

Together we can make a difference!
Save the planet! Save the Turtles!

Hoping to raise awareness of the endangered Sea Turtles on Lombok and around the world.

🌍 Using The Lombok Lodge reusable water bottle instead of plastic bottles will create a Green & Sustainable Earth while keeping you Healthy during your stay with us #SaveThePlanet #ThankYou

Ben Olaerts
Founder & Owner of The Lombok Lodge Hospitality