seaturtle.org : MTN : ARCHIVES : Sign In
Marine Turtle Newsletter 64:12, © 1994
Ismu Sutanto Suwelo1, Cherryta Yunia Yusuf2, and Koichi Yamasaki2
1Forestry Training Centre, Bogor,
2Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation Ministry of Forestry, Bogor, Indonesia
Along the Jambursba-Medi coast in the northern part of Kepala Burung, Sorong, Irian Jaya, there is a nesting ground for the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). It may be among the largest nesting populations in the world, following the Pacific coast of Mexico and the Atlantic coast of French Guiana. With the collapse of the Terengganu (Malaysia) rookery, it is certainly among the most important in our region. About 2,600 turtles nest here at three main sites along 18 km of beach. Preliminary field work indicates that the nesting season may be bimodal, beginning in April and continuing through October, with a second peak in February. The other species of sea turtle nesting here are the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea).
All sea turtle species in Indonesia, except the green turtle, are protected animals. Therefore, the Jamursba-Medi beaches in Irian Jaya should be protected by law and managed as a Wildlife Reserve. The existence of the leatherback turtle in Jamursba-Medi is gravely threatened because of egg poaching. From research carried out in 1987, the area has been proposed as a protected area to be used for research and training for the conservation and management of sea turtles.