In Phuket, the absence of tourists has given sea turtles the privacy and safety to spawn in greater numbers.
More turtle nests have been spotted in Phuket than were ever found in the days before the pandemic, according to the Phuket Marine Biological Centre.
A variety of different sea turtle species have been spotted nesting and laying hundreds of eggs around the island throughout 2021.
During heavy tourist times, nesting locations are limited, but with the peace and quiet, baby hatchlings can crawl out of their eggs and waddle down the beach to the sea.
But it is hoped that the peaceful conditions that allowed many breeds of sea turtles to thrive this year will continue post-Covid for the next generation of turtles.
Species like the olive ridley sea turtle, which hadn’t been seen in 20 years, are being spotted on the beaches of Phuket now.
The primary cause of death in sea turtles is plastic waste, nets, and fishing lines, and 56% of all sea turtles that are seen in the Centre have plastic waste either in their system or tangled around their body. »
