Hawksbill Turtle at Pulau Hantu!

November 8, 2011

Jeffry Low and Jani Tanzil bumped into a Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) at Pulau Hantu yesterday! Jeffrey described that the turtle was rubbing itself against a rock, perhaps to dislodge a parasite, or simply because it had an itch to scratch!

Hawksbill Turtle at Pulau Hantu, 7 Nov 2011. Photo: Jeffrey Low

The Hawksbill turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle that is regularly sighted at Pulau Hantu and around local waters. Below are more videos of Hawksbill turtles encountered on Hantu’s reefs during night dives.

Human fishing practices threaten E. imbricata populations with extinction. The World Conservation Union. classifies the Hawksbill as critically endangered. Hawksbill shells are the primary source of tortoise shell material, used for decorative purposes. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species outlaws the capture and trade of hawksbill sea turtles and products derived from them.^[1]

We in Singapore are very privileged to be able to dive with these rare and beautiful creatures. It is also very special that despite being an urban and highly developed island city, we are still able to find these creatures off our coast.

In 2006, a turtle fixed with a satellite transmitter and deployed off the coast of Melaka, where she went to lay her eggs, was found making a straight journey from Malaysia to Singapore in the southern islands. The turtle was named Puteri Pulau Upeh and you can read more about her at the WWF website.

Sea turtles are also known to nest on Singapore’s beaches, alongside city dwellers at East Coast beach! To see photos of baby turtles born in Singapore, check out the Wild Singapore website.

See more amazing photos and videos of Singapore’s sea life first on our Facebook Page!

Posted in Videos