Scott Benson, from Jamursba-Medi, Indonesia. The leatherback population that nests at the north coast of the Bird’s Head Peninsula is the largest remaining nesting population within the Pacific Ocean basin. The number of turtles nesting here, however, has declined during the last 20 years. In the recent past, leatherback eggs at Jamursba-Medi were harvested by local villagers and collectors, who traveled by boat to the site, and sold the eggs elsewhere. Today, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) of Indonesia, in collaboration with the Papua Barat Department of Forestry and Nature Conservation (BKSDA), is working with local communities to protect the nesting leatherbacks at Jamursba-Medi. Egg harvesting and poaching is now part of the history of Jamursba-Medi, but other threats to leatherback eggs remain.

The north Bird’s Head coast is dynamic, shaped by strong seasonal long-shore currents that erode the beaches. Feral pigs, introduced long ago, are voracious and constantly jeopardize leatherback nests. Studies and projects to reduce these threats and increase the number of hatchlings are under way by a consortium of researchers at Jamursba-Medi. Under the advice of Manjula Tiwari (NOAA), Ricardo Tapilatu, a lecturer and researcher at the State University of Papua (UNIPA), (pictured working on the beach with one of his students) is conducting experiments and collecting data about hatching success with his team of university students. Their objective is to document patterns of beach erosion and find appropriate areas to move nests that are threatened by beach erosion, a technique that has been proven successful at leatherback nesting beaches in the Caribbean.

Three small experimental hatcheries, such as the one pictured here, have been erected and contain 20-30 nests each. Leatherback eggs incubate in the sand for 60-70 days and once the hatchlings emerge from the sand, the UNIPA team excavates the nest, determines the ratio of successfully hatched eggs and compares results between the hatchery nests and those left undisturbed. The work is challenging and labor-intensive.

Feral pigs are smart animals and difficult to control. A short electrically-charged fence, constructed by Hiroyuki Suganuma of Everlasting Nature of Asia (ELNA) has had some success at Warmamedi, although maintenance is a struggle out here. The local villagers have assembled multiple pig traps surrounding the nesting beach and we’ve benefited by dining daily on fresh pig meat from the successful traps. Hatchlings are the currency by which success is measured at sea-turtle nesting sites. The combined efforts of the local community and these researchers, with the support of various institutions from around the world, will be critical to reverse the trend of declining nesting activity at Jamursba-Medi.

The sky is clear tonight, revealing an celestial masterpiece. Peaceful and calm star-filled nights are the joy of turtle-beach monitors around the world. It’s unfortunate that nights like this have been so rare during this trip. We deploy two more transmitters before walking back to camp. Only two more transmitters remain, hopefully we can finish tomorrow. Written on July 26, 2007, in Jamursba-Medi, Indonesia.