Prarop Plangngarn Chief of Phuket Marine National Park Operation Center 2 was notified by Mr Winai Sae-io, of OTOP Village at Moo 4 Mai Khao, who discovered the nest this morning.
“The tracks were found on Mai Khao Beach, in the Sirinat National Park,” confirmed Mr Prarop.
“At approximately 8am, Mr Winai saw the turtle’s footprints, which measured about 1.36 metres in width and he notified us. The officers traced the tracks, started to dig and discovered the turtle eggs around 10am.
“We won’t move the eggs from the nest because, by the time we discovered them, they had already been there about three to four days and had already started to develop.
“We will leave the nest untouched and let the turtles hatch undisturbed. If we move the eggs, it could have adversely affected them,” commented Mr Prarop.
“We have constructed a fence to prevent people stealing the eggs or disturbing the nest in any other way, and the nest is under constant 24 hour surveillance,” he said.
“Officers from Sirinath National Park and the Phuket Marine Biological Center Research will watch over the nest for the next 60 days until the eggs hatch and the newborn turtles are ready to return to sea.
“If anyone does see a turtle nesting on a local beach, please call us at 076-679134 so we can respond quickly and ensure we can protect the eggs,” Mr Prarop added.