Guests at Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa Released Baby Leatherback Turtles
26 Jun 2009
Guests at Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa, together with the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and Mai Khao Sea Turtle Conservation Fund of local community, reintroduced endangered baby turtles to their natural environment on the Mai Khao beach over the Songkran Thai New year.
Mai Khao is one of the few Phuket beaches that continues to welcome nesting turtles and it was the ideal setting for the 130 baby green turtles to take to the waters of the Andaman sea. All of the eggs had been rescued from beaches surrounding Phuket and provinces nearby where a natural and peaceful existence could no longer be guaranteed. The Phuket Marine Biological Centre and Royal Navy provide a safe home for the eggs to hatch and the young turtles to gain strength before finding their true home in the Sea. On the day, there was also one special guest ‘going home' - Freedom a 7 year old Hawksbill turtle who had been seriously injured in a fisherman's net and spent a full 12 months being nursed back to perfect health.
Over the recent years, the Foundation has broadened its environmental projects to not only ensure the conservation of the leatherback turtles but also preserve the environment with the involvement of local communities, schools, universities and government organizations. Efforts by the Foundation and its supporters, include beach and reef cleaning, educational workshops, recycling projects, tree planting, turtle rescue/release and support of other marine conservation organizations.
The funds raised by the Foundation and its members such as Anantara Phuket ensure a sizable annual donation to the Phuket Marine Biological Center. The Centre ensures many worthy projects including the Marine Animal Stranding Rescue Project to help bring awareness of turtle protection and encourage the participation of all to preserve the natural surroundings.
For more information and reservations at Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa, please call 076-336-100 or visit www.phuket.anantara.com.
