Singapore's first recorded turtle hatchlings for 2025 released off Sisters' Islands
Seventy-six babies set off on their journey to adulthood on July 25 after NParks measured them for research purposes.
SINGAPORE – Hatchlings from the first recorded hawksbill turtle nest of 2025 in Singapore took their earliest dip in the sea off Sisters' Islands on July 25 morning.
Announcing their release, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said on Facebook that the clutch of 123 eggs belonging to the critically endangered hawksbill turtle were uncovered by the National Parks Board (NParks) at East Coast Park in early June.
Their location meant that the odds of survival would have been slim, said Mr Tan, as turtle eggs take about two months to hatch, during which they would have been threatened by high human traffic and predators, and risk being inundated by high tides.
To protect the turtles, the eggs were retrieved by NParks staff and moved to the Sisters' Islands Marine Park Turtle Hatchery, another popular nesting spot for marine turtles.
Of these, 76 babies set off on their journey to adulthood on July 25 after Nparks measured them for research purposes.
Hawksbill turtles, named after their powerful beak-like mouth, typically visit Singapore's shores between May and October to lay their eggs.
Emerging from the nest is just the start of a hatchling's test of endurance as they grapple with many challenges on their journey to the sea, including predators like shorebirds, and the risk of disorientation caused by artificial light sources.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability
Singapore MRT service changes needed to modify 3 East-West Line stations on Changi Airport stretch: LTA
Asia Live: Thailand-Cambodia border clashes continue for second day
Singapore Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA
Singapore Vape disposal bins at 23 CCs for users to surrender e-vaporisers, without facing penalties
Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions
Sport Training sessions at World Aquatics Masters Championships cancelled due to Sentosa's water quality issues
Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly
They then face other risks in the open sea, such as accidental entanglement with rubbish and illegal poachers.
Acknowledging the difficulties, Mr Tan said the chance of these hatchlings surviving to adulthood is less than 0.1 per cent, but he hopes that they will return one day.
Hawksbill turtles take roughly two decades to mature, and only females return to nest on beaches near where they hatched.
While collaborative work to help Singapore's sea turtles has been ongoing for nearly two decades, NParks initiated aprogramme in 2016 to conserve the two native turtle species, both of which are at high risk of extinction.
The other species, the green turtle, is endangered and much less encountered.
Dr Karenne Tun, group director of the National Biodiversity Centre, told The Straits Times that Nparks has recorded about 170 hawksbill turtle sightings in Singapore between 2020 and June 2025. They include nests and turtle tracks.
Hawksbill turtles take roughly two decades to mature, and only females return to nest on beaches near where they hatched.
PHOTO: ALVIN TAN/FACEBOOK
There were only 66 turtle sightings from 2005 to 2016, the year its programme was launched.
As part of the programme, NParks conducts biodiversity beach patrols during nesting season at dawn between 5am and 7am to look for nesting turtles, laid nests and hatchlings.
Dr Tun advises members of the public who encounter a nesting turtle on the beach to keep their distance from the turtle and the eggs.
This is because touching a turtle can scare or provoke it, and handling the eggs may result in damage or the introduction of bacteria into the nest.
Instead, they can contact the NParks helpline on 1800-471-7300 to report their sighting.
Dr Tun said: 'They should talk softly and stay out of sight, and not shine lights at the turtle or use flash photography.
'Light and noise may scare the turtle and cause it to leave without laying any eggs.'
The public should also keep clear of tracks left by the turtles as researchers use the tracks to identify the species of the turtle and to locate the nest.
Those who are interested in participating in NParks' efforts to monitor sea turtle populations in Singapore can join NParks' Biodiversity Beach Patrol through
its website .
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
13 students receive Lim Kim San Memorial Scholarship
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Charlotte Seah (centre), a 2023 recipient of the Lim Kim San Memorial Scholarship Awards with this year's recipients Janella Ching Si Hui (left) and Raulinder Singh. SINGAPORE - When Mr Raulinder Singh was 17, his father died of a sudden heart attack. It was about 1½ months before his second attempt at the O-level examinations. His father's death motivated the student, who was then more engrossed in video games than his schoolwork, to work harder and to also try to fill the void left by his father, 'the glue of the family'. Mr Singh, now 28, said this drive spurred him through his polytechnic studies, and ultimately led him to be awarded the Lim Kim San Memorial Scholarship on Aug 7 at a ceremony held at SPH Media. The final-year history student at Nanyang Technological University was among 13 recipients, out of 60 applicants. The scholarship, funded by SPH Foundation, provides financial aid to exemplary students from modest family backgrounds. Now in its 20th year, the bond-free annual award has supported over 190 recipients since its inception. Recipients have their tuition fees fully covered and are given a $ 3,000 allowance per year. They may also take up internship opportunities at SPH Media if they are keen. The scholarship will relieve Mr Singh's worries about funding his university tuition fees. He was unable to secure a bank loan as he could not find a suitable guarantor, and had to rely on his sister's Central Provident Fund monies. To support himself and his 68-year-old mother, Mr Singh worked throughout university, though it was at times difficult to juggle his school work with his two part-time jobs. Thankfully, his lecturers were understanding and provided extensions on his assignments when needed, he said. Apart from the financial help, Mr Singh is also excited about the opportunities the scholarship brings. 'Although I am still deciding on what to do in the future, I am glad that the scholarship allows me to explore an internship with SPH, and potentially open up new doors that I did not even know existed,' he said. Raulinder Singh was among 13 recipients, out of 60 applicants. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN NTU final-year student Charlotte Seah, 24, who received the scholarship in 2023, was at the award ceremony working as an internal communications intern with SPH Media. The linguistics and multilingual studies undergraduate completes her 13-week internship in early -August. She said the role has allowed her to try many different things, which included writing an internal series of articles featuring employees who had won awards or achieved outstanding results. 'This particular project made me feel like I was doing a journalism side quest,' she added. One criterion for the scholarship is a monthly household income of $5,000 or less. Recipients must have stellar academic performances and pursue either language, linguistics, or humanities in their university education. The scholarship was established in 2006 in honour of the late Mr Lim Kim San, a former Cabinet minister and former chairman of then-Singapore Press Holdings. It aims to continue Mr Lim's legacy of fostering education and leadership among young people. To reflect his belief in contributing back to society, scholars are encouraged to engage in community service. Speaking at the awards ceremony, Mr Patrick Daniel, chair of the scholarship selection committee and also board director of SPH Foundation, said: 'This scholarship is grounded in one, and only one, belief – that those who've been uplifted will, in turn, uplift others. 'Like Mr Lim Kim San, who gave so much without fanfare, we hope our new cohort will use your talents and serve others, especially those in need.' Another awardee this year was NTU linguistics and multilingual studies undergraduate Janella Ching Si Hui, 21, who is passionate about language and hopes to do an internship with SPH as a journalist. She hopes to effect positive changes through her work, and to inform people about things that matter. Janella Ching Si Hui is passionate about language and hopes to do an internship with SPH as a journalist. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Ms Ching is also a regular volunteer with Boon Lay Youth Network's KidsREAD programme, where she helps children from lower-income families improve their literacy through storytelling and crafts. She said she enjoys the volunteer work as it takes place in her neighbourhood, Boon Lay. 'Knowing that these kids are growing up in the same place as me, and being able to teach them how to read and instil good habits in them, makes me feel that I am making a difference in their lives,' she said.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
Gaza father grieving loss of child to malnutrition scrambles to save siblings
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Palestinian mother Amira Muteir holds the hand of her five-month-old baby Ammar, whom she says is wasting away from malnutrition, in Gaza City, August 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa GAZA - Ibrahim al-Najjar said he lost his five-year-old son Naim to malnutrition that is ravaging Gaza. One year later, he is still grieving while scrambling to make sure his other children don't suffer the same fate. "This child will follow him," the Palestinian former taxi driver said, pointing to his 10-year-old son Farah. "For about a month he's been falling unconscious. This child was once double the size he is now." Najjar, 43, held up a medical certificate that shows Naim died on March 28, 2024. The whole family has been displaced by nearly two years of Israeli air strikes. The Najjars had been used to eating three meals a day before the war broke out in October 2023 - after Hamas-led Palestinian militants attacked Israel - but now they can only dream of even simple foods such as bread, rice, fruit and vegetables. Naim's brother Adnan, 20, focuses on taking care of his other brothers, rising every morning at 5:30 a.m. to wend his way gingerly through Gaza's mountains of rubble to find a soup kitchen as war rages nearby. "I swear I don't have salt at home, I swear I beg for a grain of salt," said Naim's mother Najwa, 40. "People talk about Gaza, Gaza, Gaza. Come see the children of Gaza. Those who do not believe, come see how Gaza's children are dying. We are not living, we are dying slowly," she said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Some ageing condos in Singapore struggle with failing infrastructure, inadequate sinking funds Singapore Wastewater overflow in Bedok and Chai Chee due to choked sewer at BTO worksite: PUB Singapore Water gel guns among newer tools NParks uses to manage monkeys in estates Singapore Teen's love of dance powers her through cancer to perform at NDP2025 Life Feeling extra patriotic? Here are 7 other SG60 songs beyond official NDP theme Here We Are Singapore Man handed three vaping-related charges including importing 3,080 pods Business DBS shares hit record-high after Q2 profit beats forecast on strong wealth fees, trading income World Trump's 100% semiconductor tariffs may hit chipmakers in Singapore, other SEA nations Five more people died of malnutrition and starvation in the Gaza Strip in the previous 24 hours, the enclave's health ministry said on Wednesday, raising the number of deaths from such causes to at least 193 Palestinians, including 96 children, since the war began. FAMINE SCENARIO A global hunger monitor has said a famine scenario is unfolding in the Gaza Strip, with starvation spreading, children under five dying of hunger-related causes and humanitarian access to the embattled enclave severely restricted. And the warnings about starvation and malnutrition from aid agencies keep coming. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said food consumption across Gaza has declined to its lowest level since the onset of the war. Eighty-one percent of households in the tiny, crowded coastal territory of 2.2 million people reported poor food consumption, up from 33 percent in April. "Nearly nine out of ten households resorted to extremely severe coping mechanisms to feed themselves, such as taking significant safety risks to obtain food, and scavenging from the garbage," OCHA said in a statement. Even when Palestinians are not too weak to access aid collection points, they are vulnerable to injury or death in the crush to secure food. Between June and July the number of admissions for malnutrition almost doubled - from 6,344 to 11,877 - according to the latest UNICEF figures available. Meanwhile there is no sign of a ceasefire on the horizon, although Israel's military chief has pushed back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to seize areas of Gaza it doesn't already control, three Israeli officials said. Netanyahu has vowed no end to the war until the annihilation of Hamas, which killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostage in its Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military response has killed over 60,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities, and turned Gaza, one of the world's most densely populated areas, into a sea of ruins, with many feared buried underneath. 'THE SHADOW OF DEATH' Holding her emaciated baby Ammar who, she said, is wasting away from malnutrition, Amira Muteir, 32, pleaded with the world to come to the rescue. "The shadow of death is threatening him, because of hunger," she said, adding that he endures 15 or 20 days a month with no milk so she waits hours at a hospital for fortified solution. Sometimes he has to drink polluted liquids because of a shortage of clean water, she said. Muteir and her children and husband rely on a charity soup kitchen that helps them with one small plate of food per day to try and survive. "We eat it throughout the day and until the following day we eat nothing else," she said. REUTERS
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Straits Times
Water gel guns among newer tools NParks uses to manage monkeys in estates
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox An NParks contractor using water gel blasters to drive the monkeys out of a HDB estate in Punggol on Aug 2. SINGAPORE – Water guns expelling gel beads are one of the newer tools that the National Parks Board (NParks) has been using to drive monkeys away from residential areas. This surfaced in recent videos showing contractors shooting long-tailed macaques in an HDB estate in the Punggol hot spot with what looks like toy guns, much to netizens' amusement. Monkey guarding – the herding of monkeys away from urban areas – is carried out by the authorities and animal welfare organisations to prevent human-macaque conflict. Water guns, adopted in 2023, are used only by NParks and have been deployed in Punggol since mid-2024. 'The loud noise generated by the device and scattering of the water gel beads also allow the range of guarding to be extended,' said Mr How Choon Beng, NParks' group director for wildlife management. NParks has been using water gel beads as an additional measure to 'guide' the monkeys away from residential areas and towards forested areas, 'as some macaques have grown accustomed to existing monkey-guarding measures', he said. Sterilising macaques is among other newer measures the authorities have taken to manage the monkey problem in residential estates. In existing monkey-guarding measures, the authorities and organisations raise their voices and tap hiking sticks on the ground to drive them away from residential areas as a form of negative reinforcement but without taunting the primates. But monkey guarding is not just about deterring macaques, said Ms Sabrina Jabbar, who heads the Monkey Guards Programme at Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) (JGIS). 'It's meant to teach macaques no-go human areas and people the correct ways to act in the presence of macaques,' she said. The newer estates of northern Punggol close to Coney Island have been a macaque hot spot for a few years, with monkeys even entering homes and damaging cars. Between late 2024 and early 2025, NParks received around 200 reports relating to macaques in Punggol. Since 2023, a number of macaques were sterilised to control their population, and a few were culled as they were deemed aggressive. NPark's Mr How said the beads are not aimed at the macaques, but should there be any 'inadvertent contact', the beads will burst upon impact without significant force. NParks contractors using water gel blasters to drive the monkeys out of an HDB estate in Punggol on Aug 2. PHOTO: COCONOTEEE/TIKTOK However, organisations such as JGIS and the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) have some reservations because of animal welfare concerns and fears that members of the public will buy similar water guns to chase away monkeys in their estates. Primatologist Andie Ang, president of JGIS, stressed that only the authorities can use the water guns, and the general public should not take matters into their own hands. Acres' chief executive Kalaivanan Balakrishnan said: 'We do not want a situation where the public starts imitating the method and buy their own devices to shoot at the monkeys or use something else without knowing the method behind it.' Ms Jabbar further cautioned: 'The risk of macaques acting back in defence is higher should the gel be aimed at younger macaques, females and geriatric individual s.' She was also concerned about monkeys and other animals like birds, cats and dogs swallowing the gel beads. Mr How said personnel who handle wildlife are offered wildlife management training courses to ensure public safety, personnel safety and animal welfare in the course of such activities. Since long-tailed macaques are intelligent and adaptable creatures, there is also the possibility that they will eventually outsmart the water guns, as with existing monkey-guarding measures. Ms Jabbar said: 'We know how smart the macaques are, so tools and methods need to be reviewed every now and then. 'Monkey guarding for example is not meant to completely make the macaques disappear. It is meant to teach the community how to live alongside them as peacefully as possible while macaques are being taught certain boundaries they should not cross.' Both the organisations and NParks said a suite of measures are needed to avoid human-macaque conflict, and people have to also do their part by not feeding the monkeys and ensuring that bins and rubbish disposal systems in estates are latched shut and monkey-proof. 'If guarding is working, but people continue to not play their part, then the whole process will still fail,' said Ms Jabbar. Mr How said: 'NParks will also continue working with relevant authorities and community leaders on a multipronged approach to minimise human sources of food, and expanding outreach and engagements to the residents at Punggol on what to do when encountering macaques. Enforcement efforts are also undertaken to deter illegal wildlife feeding activities.' He added that macaques are dynamic and can move between habitat patches in search of available resources, making them less dependent on a particular site for survival. 'We will continue to study their population long-term to understand their movement patterns and habitat use, the findings of which will inform ongoing population-control measures,' he said.
