On the evening of October 2, rangers in Sansha witnessed the hatching of green sea turtle eggs on Jinqing Island in the Yongle Archipelago.
On the evening of October 2, at approximately 9pm, patrolling rangers discovered a flotilla of green sea turtles had taken advantage of the rising tide to climb onto the beach on the west side of Jinqing Island and dig burrows to lay their eggs alongside the vegetation above the high tide line.
"Watch out! Cut the lights. There's a turtle laying eggs!"
Green sea turtles have highly specific nesting requirements: fine sand, no reefs, and vegetation close to the high tide line. The southwestern beaches of Jinqing Island meet these criteria, making them one of the most active nesting grounds in the area.
After laying her eggs, the mother turtle crawls back to the sea.
On the other side of the spawning grounds, a nest of newly hatched sea turtles moves toward the sea by instinct.
The distance is not far, but for the hatchlings it is a "life-or-death hurdle." Natural predators such as crabs and seabirds watch and wait.
Ultimately, only about half will make it.
Sea turtles have an incubation period of approximately 45 to 70 days. Each clutch contains anywhere from 50 to 200 eggs, and the natural hatching rate is approximately 80%.
Green sea turtle laying eggs.
Hatchlings making their way towards the sea.