If you get the opportunity to dive in Singapore waters, you may chance upon either one or both of these two species of sea turtles, the green and hawksbill turtle. They can be differentiated by scute patterns on the top of their heads. The hawksbill turtle also has a distinctive long pointed beak, specialised for reaching through cracks of coral reefs and feeding on sea sponges.

The scute patterns of the green turtle (left) and hawksbill turtle (right) are different. (Photo by Francesco Ungaro and Cindy Chan on Unsplash)

From 2005 to 2016, 66 turtle sightings were recorded, including both hawksbill and green turtles. It is not surprising to see them in our waters as green and hawksbill turtles feed and reside in seagrass beds and coral reefs respectively, which are common marine habitats around the coasts of Singapore. Globally, green turtles are more widespread as compared to hawksbill turtles, yet only hawksbill turtles have been discovered nesting on Singapore beaches.

Hawksbill turtles nesting in Singapore

NParks staff relocating a nest due to unfavourable environmental conditions (© Regine Tiong)

The National Parks Board (NParks) has recently started to monitor the population and their nesting activities in 2017. Excitingly in 2018, there was a total of 62 hawksbill sightings and 10 nests hatched successfully. During the nesting season, you could possibly see mother turtles coming up onto the beaches at Changi, East Coast Park and on our southern islands including Sisters’ Islands and Lazarus Island to nest. Some of the nests would be relocated to our very own turtle hatchery at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park for monitoring and data collection. Nests would be covered with a metal mesh as a form of protection against predators like monitor lizards and ghost crabs. When the babies hatch, they will be safely escorted along the shore and into the ocean for their very first swim.

Hatchlings using all their might to crawl out of their nest. (© Regine Tiong)

Despite the ongoing efforts to save and protect the hawksbill hatchlings in Singapore, research is vital to improve our understanding of the hawksbill turtles in Singapore before we can construct measures for the conservation of this globally dwindling species.

Click here to read about our perspectives and interactions with turtles.