A Turtle Hamlet Run by a Former Turtle Hunter

After spending many years hunting for turtle eggs to earn a living, Datu switched to become a protector of turtles.

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

Datu

Four years ago, Datu, 47, decided to take his life in a completely new direction. After spending many years hunting for turtle eggs to earn a living, he switched to become a protector of turtles. Nowadays, he manages a “turtle hamlet” where thousands of turtle eggs are hatched, before the hatchlings are taken care of and then released to the seas.

On the shores of Barugaia village in Bontomanai district, Selayar regency, South Sulawesi, lays the turtle hamlet. On the one-hectare area is a stilt house that serves as a management office, a training area with a demonstration plot on turtle egg hatching and hatchlings’ pond.

“‘Kampung Penyu’ [‘Turtle Hamlet’ in Indonesian] stands for kerukunan pemuda pelindung penyu [society of turtle-protecting youths],” Datu said in an interview at his office at Turtle Hamlet in late October.

The sandy beach of Barugaia village is visited by a number of turtle species, including green turtles, olive ridley sea turtles, hawksbill turtles and loggerhead turtles every spawning season. Datu began hunting for their eggs in 1997. In a single year, he could collect thousands of eggs. In 2012, Datu recorded that 15 active hunters in the village could collect 8,700 eggs. At the time, turtle eggs were sold at the market for Rp 800 (US$0.06) per egg.

This hunt for eggs saw the turtle population decrease. Datu said he realized this after observing that fewer and fewer turtles were visiting the beach every year. “Before 2012, up to seven turtles would visit the beach to lay eggs in one night. But afterwards, only two at the most would come at one time,” he said.

Datu came to the realization that the hunt for turtle eggs had been too massive and had disrupted the species’ regeneration, causing the population to decline. If the situation did not change, no more turtles would come to the village to lay eggs. This meant would mean no more money for local hunters.

Turtles can lay between 100 and 180 eggs at a time. Datu began to ask his friends to leave 10 percent of these eggs at the nesting ground in the hope they would hatch, reach adulthood and return to lay more eggs. “However, this method still did not increase the turtle population,” Datu said.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Datu

Cooperation

Datu and his friends then took a more progressive step after meeting with Selayar-based diving community Sileya Scuba Divers (SSD). The meeting led to an initiative for turtle preservation in Barugaia. The communities worked together to gather support from multiple parties until they eventually established the Turtle Hamlet in 2013.

Datu then asked his egg-hunting friends to help preserve the turtle population. The issue of lost livelihoods was resolved by providing incentives to the hunters to participate in conservation efforts.

“We pay the hunters Rp 1,000 for every egg they deliver to Turtle Hamlet. The turtles are then hatched, taken care of as hatchlings and then released to the seas,” Datu said.

Turtle eggs are incubated in the demonstration plot for between 50 and 60 days. After they hatch, the hatchlings are moved to ponds for at least two weeks before they are released.

Datu explained that the eggs were hatched at the demonstration plot as the risk of failure was too high for natural hatching. Of 100 eggs in one nest, usually one or two eggs hatch first and the hatchlings’ mucus may attract predators, which eat the remaining eggs in the nest.

Turtle Hamlet is open for tourists to earn money to cover its operational activities. Infrastructure development is support by coral reef management and rehabilitation program Coremap and the Selayar regency administration.

Slowly but surely, the hamlet is gaining popularity among travelers who wish to see the breeding activities and the release of hatchlings. Visitors are asked to donate Rp 5,000 to see the captive breeding activities. Visitors who want to release the hatchlings can pay Rp 10,000 per hatchling.

From these ecotourism initiatives, Datu and his group earn money to preserve the turtle population. He has never recorded just how many eggs have been hatched and released from the hamlet. “Just this year, we have released around 2,000 hatchlings,” he said.

Loss

Datu’s journey in managing Turtle Hamlet has not always been smooth sailing. For funding, for instance, visitor donations only cover around 40 percent of Turtle Hamlet’s total expenses. Datu has had to pay the Hamlet’s expenses from his own pocket several times, especially during periods of extreme weather in the western monsoon season between December and February. “The number of visitors drops and there is no income,” he said.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Datu

Due to such hardships, Datu said, three of Turtle Hamlet’s original founders resigned in 2014, leaving him alone. He said he was once close to closing the conservation area.

“I asked my wife whether I should continue with this or not. My wife told me to soldier on,” said Datu, reminiscing about a conversation he had with his wife Siti Masrah, 38.

With his wife’s support, Datu pledged to continue managing Turtle Hamlet. His wife even told him that she did not wish to make any money from the conservation activities.

In order to fulfill his family’s daily needs, Datu buys coconuts from farmers and resells them to traders from outside Selayar. As things get busier at Turtle Hamlet, Siti helps Datu to run his coconut business.

Apart from coconuts, Datu also has a seasonal business. “During the western monsoon season, a lot of plastic and bottles wash up on the beach. I collect them and sell them to waste collectors. I can collect dozens of tons,” he said.

Additional funds to manage Turtle Hamlet come from irregular donations from government institutions, organizations and officials who visit. One official donated Rp 10 million to adopt several hatchlings. “Alhamdulillah [Praise God], last year, there was a surplus of Rp 1 million,” Datu said.

He said he hoped the turtle conservation initiative could drive local ecotourism and benefit the local community, especially the people of Barugaia village. On holidays or when local government institutions hold events at Turtle Hamlet, a number of locals set up shops to sell snacks and drinks.

For the sake of the preservation of his beloved turtles, Datu has chosen to lead a new life. Back when he was still a hunter, Datu said that every time he met a turtle going back to sea, he always rubbed its head while asking its forgiveness for having taken its eggs and thanking it for helping his family earn money.

“Now, I tell my friends to beg for forgiveness from the turtles every time we are done collecting their eggs for protection,” Datu said.

Turtle Hamlet is Datu’s genuine way of apologizing to the turtles. Once a hunter, he is now a protector of turtles.