Greeting from Chagar Hutang Bay, Redang Island, MY - - - My turn!!!
After all the delay and postpone, I finally made it to Pulau Redang for the SEATRU program before all the east coast island close down for the northeast monsoon (November to February). I just so need to leave KL as soon as possible and I took the earliest possible flight on Saturday morning to Kuala Terengganu. Arrived just in time for breakfast and my sis, Jean took me to this shop at KT Chinatown that served this tiny square bun with margarine and ‘kaya’. Yumm… For the rest of the day, we just ‘jalan-jalan cari makan’ around KT. Next morning, after meeting the other 3 volunteers at SEATRU house in KUSTEM, we headed to Pulau Redang by speedboat to join Pei Chek and Nazri at Chagar Hutang. In the following 8 days 7 nights, 6 total strangers + 1 beautiful isolated beach + 5 rainy days + 1 fussy Chelonia Mydas + 2 hatchling emergences + 40 odd turtle nests + 10s of sharks + 1 healthy house reef - cell phone - TV = Slot Y aka the Monsoon Slot.
Hello and welcome!!. This fella was discovered while we dug and checked one of the emerged-nest. She is one of those latecomer and was released later during pitch-black night to avoid predator.
Welcome to Chagar Hutang!.
Kampung house. We were staying in these kampung hut with basic amenities (i.e. toilet, kitchen) plus one 5W energy-saving bulb. Electricity is generated by a solar-cell located in front of the hut.
Chagar Hutang Bay aka Turtle Bay. This 330m stretch of beach is managed by SEATRU of KUSTEM for turtle conservation and no other boats except SEATRU's boat can land here. Chagar Hutang Bay also boasts some of the healthiest house-reef in Redang Island.
Friendly wildlife. These squirrels just love cream-cracker.
Our beach cleaner. They come in huge group after the sky turn dark. They are especially noticeable near the compost plot where their number can rival the red army crab at Christmas Island.
Juvenile reef-shark routinely swim close to the shore scouting for food. The dark patch in the water is a huge school of anchovy taking refuge in the bay.
Poker game. We played lots and lots of 'tai di' and 'bridge' during those rainy night. From top (clockwise), Nazri (Our helpful boatman), Chi Too (independent film maker), Suyin (Cambridge graduate), Pei Chek (Our friendly RA), Jinli (Astro TV Programmer) and me (the photographer lah!)
Nazri tried to catch some anchovy for our dinner when we run out of fresh meat.
This is the fussy Chelonia Mydas lah and the only one!. Because it's towards the end of season, she was the only turtle turn up to lay her eggs during the one whole week we were there. She came the night before, but decided to go back to the sea after she couldn't find a suitable spot. Pei Chek told us that turtles can be very fussy sometime regarding the spot they lay their eggs. ** Photo is a little dark due the prohibition of camera flash. I used 15 secs exposure plus moonlight for this photo and it works wonders!!
Turtle trail. The track left by the mother turtle that came up laying her eggs.
During daytime, we went for nest-check and patrolling to chase away monitor lizards. This particular nest was attacked by red army ants and we have to relocate the remaining eggs to another location.
Hello! Little one. This baby turtle hatched (notice the still-attach yolk sack?) during the relocation. We have to put it back together with other eggs in the newly-dug egg chamber so that she can emerge together with her brothers and sisters.
Turquoise water & lush green forest. Looking from Turtle Rock.
Rugged terrain of north eastern Redang Island.
Bye bye! As we're leaving the Chagar Hutang bay to catch the connecting-boat back to mainland, we were presented the best sunrise during our stay (it had been gloomy and raining for the past few days).
p/s : Anyone who wish to join next year SEATRU volunteer programme or adopt a turtle, you may check SEATRU website or contact one of the research assistant .