Endangered Hawksbill Turtle lays eggs on Itoman Coast: “First time in my life!” says turtle-lover Tokumura

Endangered Hawksbill Turtle lays eggs on Itoman Coast: “First time in my life!” says turtle-lover Tokumura

The hawksbill sea turtle came to land to lay her eggs (Approximately 1:15 p.m. on July 12, Itoman. From the video provided by Koki Tokumura)


July 15, 2021 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

On July 12, an endangered hawksbill sea turtle was seen laying her eggs on the coast of Itoman. Koki Tokumura, a resident known by locals and on the radio as a lover of turtles discovered the nest and took a video. “It’s the first time in my life that I’ve seen a hawksbill nest!” he says.

 

At around 1:00 p.m. on that day, Tokumura was in the area to catch shrimp and found sea turtle tracks on the beach. “I’ve come across green sea turtle and red sea turtles laying their eggs, but this time I was struck by how small the prints were.” Following the tracks, he discovered a single hawksbill sea turtle busy burying her newly-laid eggs in the sand. The hawksbill sea turtle is recognizable by the characteristic jagged back end of its shell.

 

The waves were quiet and calm that night. Tokumura stayed nearby, watching over the turtle until she returned safely to sea.

 

The hawksbill sea turtle is designated as endangered, the IB category on the Ministry of the Environment’s Red List. In comparison to green and red sea turtles, hawksbill sea turtles are rarely seen laying their eggs in Okinawa.

 

(English translation by T&CT and Ellen Huntley)

 

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