Derawan Islands: The Turtle Tale

by Marthen Welly

Derawan islands form a part of the global coral triangle, the paradise for three species of turtle: green, hawksbill and leatherback.

During nesting seasons, hundreds of sea turtles go out each night to lay eggs on soft, white, sandy beaches. Crystal clear water over a stretch of breathtaking corals and colorful fish tempts visitors to swim, snorkel or dive. Silhouettes of coconut trees and local fishermen on their wooden boats sailing off toward the sunset are an unforgettable draw of the idyllic Derawan Islands in East Kalimantan.

In the early mornings or late afternoons, one can easily find several adult sea turtles swimming not far from the beach or close to the jetties. Night divers in Derawan will be enthralled to catch sight of countless sea turtles sleeping around the reef.

Sea turtles are a Jurassic marine animal with a hard carapace to protect its soft body. Sea turtles now and again need to swim on the seawater surface to breathe. They feed on sea grass, small fishes and prawns. Turtles can swim thousands of miles during migration in certain seasons. Their eggs are tender and appear like a ping pong ball. Having a life expectancy of 30 years, sea turtles instinctively return to their nesting grounds on the same beach where they were born. An adult sea turtle has a diameter of about two meters and on average weighs around 300 kilograms.

Derawan Islands is an important nesting site for sea turtles in Southeast Asia. There are three kinds of sea turtles found around the Derawan Islands: the green, hawksbill and leatherback turtles. These islands, being part of the coral triangle, form the regionís largest nesting ground for the green sea turtles.

The Derawan Islands are located in the Berau district of East Kalimantan, the major islands being Derawan, Maratua, Samama, Panjang, Kakaban and Sangalaki. One can reach these islands from Surabaya, East Java or Jakarta with a stopover at Balikpapan and Tanjung Redeb, East Kalimantan. Derawan, Maratua, Kakaban, Samama and Sangalaki Islands all potential marine tourism areas can easily be accessed from Tanjung Redeb, the capital of the Berau district. A trip on a speed boat would take around three hours through the Segah River one may even catch a glimpse of the endangered freshwater Irawadi dolphins! Various types of accommodation are available on Derawan, Maratua and Sangalaki.

Kakaban Island is unique; at its center is a salt lake home to endemic brown-colored and transparent stingless jellyfishes. One can swim or snorkel in this lake, amidst thousands of these facsinating creatures. Diving sites around this island are amazing as well. Barracuda Point is one of the favorites. Over a hundred barracudas can be found in the waters here.

Another popular site near Sangalaki Island is Manta Ray Point. Sometimes, more than 50 rays (two-three meters in diameter) can be seen in a single sighting. Furthermore, Sangalaki Beach is one of the nesting sites for green turtles. Due to turtle egg poaching by people and also natural predators, there is an on-going effort to protect the eggs around the island. Some of these eggs are taken to a nursery and when they hatch, the baby turtles are released out to sea. Visitors can help set the baby turtles free, making it one of the Derawan’s highlights.

Panjang Island offers another interesting dive site. Strong currents and underwater caves make this site different from the others, and is recommended for advanced divers only. On the other hand, the sea around the islands is one of the migratory routes in Indonesia for whales and dolphins. If you are lucky, you can see more than a hundred whales and dolphins in several shoals. Research conducted by the conservation NGOs TNC-WWF joint program found that bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales are just a few of the cetaceans found in this area.

Coral reefs, important ecosystems for sea turtles and fish, face threats caused by human activities. These include the practice of destructive fishing methods such as bombs and cyanide, some types of nets, anchoring, and irresponsible divers and tourists during water activities. Damage to the reefs has caused the decrease in fish populations and fish, an important source of protein for people, are getting scarce.

The Berau local government and a number of NGOs have strived to restore the condition of the coral reefs. Recovery process can take decades due to the fact that corals grow only around three centimeters a year. The government has put measures to stop destructive fishing methods that will harm its coastal assets, especially turtles and coral reefs.

Derawan Islands is one of the priorities for marine conservation in Indonesia. The Berau local government, working together with a number of international and local NGOs, has declared a Marine Protected Area (MPA) protecting its marine and coastal areas, covering more than 1.27 million hectares to protect sea turtles and valuable coastal ecosystem. The local government is also eager to develop sustainable marine eco-tourism within this area and have encouraged the development of hostels, managed by the local people.

Today, more support is needed to protect the beautiful Derawan Islands with their underwater bounty. When some day we return to these memorable islands with our children and grandchildren, we want them to easily find the turtles nesting in peace.

fotografer : Anton Wijonarno/TNC
source : http://www.baliandbeyond.co.id/archieves/archieve-frameset.htm