Baby loggerhead turtle found dead in Pulau Kapas

MARANG - A male loggerhead sea turtle said to be a rare species was found dead in the waters of Pulau Kapas on Monday.

According to Pulau Kapas Turtle Conservation Association volunteer Fildani Noor, the animal was found floating around 1.40pm by a team of volunteers.

Fildani said that the turtle is believed to have just died because the carcass was still fine and rotting.

"The initial examinationof the carcass found that the neck was swollen and the carapace was missing.

"We have reported the discovery of the baby loggerhead turtle carcass to the fishery department for a detailed investigation.

"We disposed the carcass by burying it at Pantai Panjang, Pulau Kapas yesterday," she said when contacted on Tuesday.

She explained that the death of the turtle had an impact since the species is rarely found in the island's waters.

"The last time our volunteers came across the loggerhead turtle species was earlier this year and before that in 2019.

"We are worried if this carcass is the same turtle that we found while snorkeling before," he said.

He said, currently, only agar type of turtles are usually found in Terengganu waters while other species such as loggerhead and cockroach turtles are rarely found

In addition, the leatherback turtle which is the icon of the state of Terengganu recorded its last landing in 2017 and is now no longer seen in the state's waters.