Marine Turtle Breeds at Swatch-of-No-Ground

Mating turtles at Swatch-of-No-Ground

Swatch-of-No-Ground (SONG) at Bay of Bengal has merited another natural heritage crown through recent discovery of important breeding ground of globally threatened marine turtles in its marine  ecosystem. SONG is already recognized as a pristine marine biome supporting highest species diversity and population numbers of cetaceans (whale, dolphin and porpoises).

This data of turtles reproduction is generated through this firsthand sightings and photographic documentation of pairing  courtshipand mating of Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles at SONG by a group of wildlife scientist of Isabela Foundation on 2^nd of January, 2020 in its 3^rd expedition at SONG. Isabela research team comprised of Dr. Mohammed Ali Reza Khan, Adviser, Mr. Kabir Bin Anwar, Chairperson, Dr. Mohammed Anisuzzaman Khan, Chief Scientist, Mr. Malik Fida Khan, Adviser, Mr. Rajib Rashedul Kabir, Wildlife Biologist together with 7 members of Isabela Foundation directly encountered a copulating pair of turtles floating on the water surface of SONG where the depth of water is 500 meter. A total of 7 minutes observation were made of the mating turtles in deep blue water surface having bright sunlight and clear visibility from a distance of 50 meters from the roof top research vessel ANNESHA. Mating is often assumed to occur in the vicinity of nesting beaches, but copulating pairs have been reported over 1,000 km from the nearest beach.

All most all information about the marine turtle’s life cycle and biology in Bangladesh is restricted mostly to turtles nesting, incubation and hatching in its terrestrial nesting phase of migration at sandy beaches. This sighting of turtles mating in deep sea canyon at SONG is anew discovery which gives raise the complete picture of marine turtle’s biology and ecology in the Bay of Bengal. These turtles usually visits Bangla coast at night during winter quarter, the adult female crawl in the sandy beach, dig nest hole in sand dunes, lays eggs varying between 90-120 in numbers. After eggs laid, the nest buried by pouring sand over the hole and the female returned to the sea. After an incubation period of about 60-70 days, the hatchlings come out from the egg shell and crawled down to the sea.

But it is unfortunate that the turtles at their breeding ground at SONG is frequently got entangled in the fishing nets of the deep sea fishing ships. During this expedition in SONG the team found two adult female turtles trapped in the fishing nets in one of the fishing ships. Mr. Kabir Bin Anwar, the chair of the Isabela Foundation is kind enough in taking instant decision to release those trapped turtles in the sea at once after coining two adorable names after his mother’s nick name’s “Chabi and Kabi”, respectively. All team members joined hand together to release those turtles at SONG.

Writer: Chief Scientist, Isabela Foundation