The first leatherback turtle nest of the season successfully hatched, with 20 hatchlings released naturally back into the sea at Koh Phra Thong, Phang Nga Province, after a total incubation period of 54 days.
On 8 March 2026, the Marine and Coastal Resources Office Region 6, led by Mr. Suriya Sonserm, Director of the Coastal Resource Conservation Division, collaborated with the Mangrove Conservation Division Director, the Mangrove Conservation Center 10 (Takua Pa, Phang Nga), the Upper Andaman Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center, Koh Phra Thong Subdistrict Administrative Organization, and community leaders to monitor the leatherback turtle eggs at Thung Dab Beach, Koh Phra Thong Subdistrict, Khura Buri District, Phang Nga Province. This was the first nest of this season.
During this operation, officials reviewed footage from surveillance cameras installed near the turtle enclosure. At 5:30 a.m., they observed three hatchlings emerging from the nest and carefully placed them in sterilized containers for close care.
Officials continued monitoring until 7:30 p.m. but saw no second group of hatchlings emerge, so they decided to excavate the nest. They found 32 live hatchlings inside and one dead, totaling 36 hatchlings. Twenty strong hatchlings were immediately released naturally into the sea, while 15 were taken to an ICU box for rehabilitation before their eventual release.
/ "Leatherback turtle" The mother turtle laid eggs in this nest on 13 January 2026. The nest was relocated for safety, with a total incubation period of 54 days before hatchlings gradually emerged. This successful hatching is a positive sign for the conservation of this rare marine species in Phang Nga Province.