Leatherback turtle returns to Terengganu after nearly a decade

The leatherback turtle, the world’s largest turtle species, may have returned to Terengganu after nearly a decade out of sight. Staff from the Terengganu State Fisheries Office found large tracks in the sand and eggs inside a nest along the state’s coast.

The Terengganu Fisheries Department said the turtle was believed to have landed recently. The species was last detected in the state in 2017.

The discovery has brought fresh hope for leatherbacks, whose numbers have fallen on Terengganu’s beaches in recent years. The department described the species as distinctive for its dark carapace, which lacks the hard scales found on most other turtles.

Terengganu was once one of Malaysia’s important leatherback nesting locations. The eggs also suggest that the beach still offers suitable nesting conditions, while the discovery has renewed calls to protect beach cleanliness and marine ecosystems.

“

Leatherback turtles are the largest turtle species in the world and have distinctive physical characteristics, including a dark carapace without hard scales like most other turtle species.