It has been over a year since my last post. Since then, I have left Myanmar and gotten engaged! I now live with my fiancee, Matt, in Bali. I have the horrible job of posting all about this relaxed and beautiful paradise.
First, moving to Bali has been such joy. Although I appreciate my time in Yangon, I love having little luxuries like electricity and water 24/7 again. Fast internet, western food, and healthy living are things I missed and definitely don’t take them for granted.
Now, onto the fun of releasing baby turtles. From March to September, female turtles make the long journey to their birthplace on Kuta Beach. Yes, they return to where they were born 25 years before to lay their eggs.
Bali Sea Turtle Society (BSTS) takes the eggs from their nests and keep them safe from predators and tourists in their hatchery. The eggs hatch 45 to 90 days later.
BSTS then posts on their facebook page that they will be hosting a release at their hatchery on Kuta Beach. It usually happens at 4:30 PM, so everyone needs to arrive at 4PM to pick up a free token to exchange for a baby turtle. The place is easy to find on the beach promenade, as it has a giant sea turtle outside that contains the hatchery.
As I said, this is completely free, but you can donate money or purchase t-shirts or jewelry to support the hatchery. In exchange for your token, they give you a plastic container with sea water and a baby turtle inside. The turtles try desperately to escape to the ocean, so we had to put your hand over the top. But you shouldn’t handle the turtles!
We then walked down to a line on the beach and waited for the announcer to give the okay for release.
After a short countdown, the turtles are all quickly moving across the sand to get to the ocean. It is important for them to be put on the sand and not in the ocean. They have to feel the sand to remember where to return when it is time to lay their eggs.
Advice: If you want pictures, have one person in your group NOT release a turtle. It is very difficult to keep the turtle inside of the container and maneuver a camera.
Escape From the American Dream 