A leatherback turtle made a surprise return to a Malaysian beach after 32 years. The turtle, dubbed the Rantau Abang Princess, returned last month to end a long dry spell of turtle landings, which have been rare in the state of Terengganu since the 1980s.
It was hailed as a miracle by conservationists and renewed hopes for the endangered species. According to Malaysian Fisheries Department director-general Ahamad Sabki Mahmood, the turtle's return showed that Rantau Abang beach was being made a turtle nesting ground once again.
Rantau Abang Princess, which hatched in the area in 1978 and was marked on its shell and left flipper, returned at a weight of 1,100 pounds, measuring five feet in length and over three feet wide. The leatherbacks are the largest of all sea turtles and have been around for 75 million years.
Photo Credit & Source : Tourism Malaysia
