Tourists staying at New Ireland’s Nusa Resort as well as Lissenung Island Resort were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience where they witnessed the hatching of 89 hawksbill baby turtles.
Resort owners and staunch environmental conservationists, Dietmar and Ange Amon, have been using their own time and resources to ensure the survival of the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles.
“At this stage we don't know how many turtles survive when we release them into the sea. But we hope that through our many awareness campaigns, our local people and visitors can respect these important sea creatures and allow them to breed and live long lives,” said Ange.
The couple usually retrieve the eggs from their nesting site on the nearby Raul Island.
They bring them back to Lissenung Island where they are cared for in a secure sand area until they hatch.
The hawksbill sea turtles are facing extinction because of their attractive shells which are often used in the making of jewelry and many types of trinkets.
Hundreds of years of hunting for the “tortoise shell” has resulted in the prohibition of the trade of any turtle products on the international market by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species.
