Ancient Mariners

I've just arrived in Semporna having spent the day traveling from Turtle island back to Sandakan in North Borneo and then on numerous buses through to Lahad Datu and finally Semporna. Tomorrow I will dive Sipadan one of the top ten dive sites in the world, I seem to be clocking them up - I'm such a lucky person and I try and thank the Gods for that everyday! BUT the most important news of the day is that of this morning's. JUMPY where were you!!! I so missed you and the rest of crew from Ban Tale Nork so!! Remember our Turtle Conservation (search) ? WE SHOULD HAVE GONE TO Selingaan, an island in the Sulu Sea and also referred to as Turtle Island. I have just spent one night on Turtle Island. One can volunteer on the island if they write a letter to the Park headquarters and it gets approved. This place is expensive (for a backpacker) to visit (STG40) but so worth it.

Turtle Island, a small island, is an hour off the coast of Sandakan, North East Borneo by speedboat and on the border with the Philippines. So close you can see the beaches on the Philippino deserted islands that surround. So I guess I can say that I saw the Philippines from afar!
It was a real treat to go there. On arrival it looks like a small deserted tropical paradise. Housed on the island, a turtle sanctuary. We arrived yesterday morning and had the rest of the day to relax and snorkel. It was great as Vyga and Mike from Uncle Tan's were there too.

Vyga and I left the beach early in search of the rangers. We spent some time trying to sweet talk them into allowing us to work with them for an hour, basically looking for an excuse to legally go behind scenes - hehehe) We got no where but one ranger, who even had our email addresses by now (thats how desperate we were) suggested we got up at 5am for more egg laying sights etc. After the tried and failed negotiations we had to find a way to entertain ourselves until sundown.

easy take more pictures!

The highlight of the program was held in the evening when after dinner we were called in small groups to watch Mama turtle lay her eggs,

the rangers transplant the eggs into the sanctuary's hatchery

and highlight of all highlights: the bambini turtles to be released into the sea.. it was mind numbing. All pictures of the night activities were taken with no flash - just a single torch light. The exposures slow and therefore when it came to the bambini being released I decided to just enjoy the moment and watch. It would have been pointless trying to take a shot. It was incredible. I know, I went gaga. I knew I liked turtles but I didn't know that I liked turtles this much. It was just so amazing to watch and such a miracle to see those tiny little cuties making a mad dash to the sea. Of course only a fraction will survive to adulthood and I will quite possibly be gone before they reach sexual maturity (30 - 50 yrs) - they are just ancient mariners and the experience was amazing.

I did get up at 5am as suggested by the rangers, Vyga unfortunately didn't make it. AND Lucky I did as I spotted two new baby turtles in the hatchery. They tend to crawl up through the sand at dusk (6pm onwards) and after a heavy downpour. I remember being woken up at some point during the night due to the heavy rain (the effect on me was a sleepy cheeky smile :) ) Once up I went straight to the hatchery and spotted the two darlings. I told a ranger that he had two new ones and he simply said 'Come with me' My chin fell to the floor, I raced back for my camera and met him on the beach near the hatchery. He simply handed the two adorable struggle'rs over and disappeared, allowing me to release them alone, without himself or the rest of the 30 odd tourists that were there on the island!!

Baby turtles are so funny - if you hold them in the air at face height, they just flap crazily and look so cute!! Its almost like your bro's toy cars the ones you had to drag backwards on the floor and then release and allow them to race off, just like that! You can't do it for long because they need all their strength to survive the Big Blue. One last look, this is where I have to come back to in 50 yrs time, umm that should do it off I go!

I placed the baby turtles on the sand, one in front of the other (had to organise the catwalk!!)and I watched whilst taking photos, praying that these tiny beauties would make it past their predators. There are no words to describe it. It was very special.