Chagar Hutang

Assalammualaikum 2015!

To begin this new year, I would like to share with you some pictures at Chagar Hutang Turtle Sanctuary, Pulau Redang. I went to this volunteer project for a week to understand and help out turtle conservation. This project is run by Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and is still ongoing.

Chagar Hutang is not open to public. Only staffs, academic researchers, volunteers and special cases approved requests are allowed. Imagine an island/beach, with only 12 people (or less). It really is wonderful, I will not deny that.

At night, our patrol shift starts at 8 until 12. After 12 only a couple will continue their shift (diff couple each night). What we had to do was to record the turtles activities such as what time they came up, start digging, laying eggs, how many eggs they laid and then the camouflaging process and finally leaving the beach. On some cases, we collect the eggs while they are laying it so that we can move it closer to the main hut which is the safer part of the beach. That's where most of the nests are.

Did I enjoy it? YES I did! Its not heavy work. During the day we mostly sleep, read books on the hammock (and err actually just sleep), go snorkelling, hiking, eat, nap, have a dip in the prawn spa pond, its nice lah.

Would I return? I'm thinking about it..

What did I enjoy most? Sleeping under the blanket of stars. On the beach, every single night.