It was sometime last week and we were heading towards the Gua Kelawar (Bat Cave) in Kilim Geoforest Park located at the eastern part of Langkawi. What it looked like from a distance was a huge white rock floating towards us. As it got closer to our boat, it drifted past us silently. We went silent upon seeing it. We wanted to hear its story but it was silent and somehow, we understood the fate of this "white rock" from the nasty smell we picked up from its surrounding.
I guess your guess is just the same as mine. Click on for closed up pictures.
Unidentified turtle species
I am not sure which species this turtle is and please let us know if anyone could identify it.
From the picture, you can see a huge slit across the rear of the carapace. The slit could possibly be caused by a speed boat running over it when it was out in the open sea. It was later drifted by the current into the mangroves.
I have yet to see a turtle swimming in the waters of Langkawi. Each turtle that I encountered here were the ones floating and lifeless. Rest in peace...
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This is sad. That scar does look like it came from a boat propeller strike. This might be an olive ridley turtle from the looks of the domed carapace,smooth carapace edges and swollen neck (could be due to decomposition, though). This species is quite rare and there's little knowledge about its biology and migration behaviour.
ReplyDeletePlease see: http://www.turtleconservationcentre.org/malaysian-turtles/olive-ridley-turtle/
Hi JK,
DeleteThank you for helping out with the id. You are the first one to give me an exact species of possibly a Olive Ridley turtle even though I have sent the pictures via FB to some marine biologists. From the link you sent, nesting sites of this turtle have been recorded in Penang.
Just out of curiosity, would you think it is a species of green turtle?
Hi Dreamer,
ReplyDeleteNo problems!:) Indeed, there's a possibility that this is a green turtle. (They have been found further across the length of Malaccan Straits) But with the state of decomposition and my amateurish guess (:D), it is a bit hard to accurately say which species it is.