Green-back Baby Penyu

1 week after my trip to Kapas, i still look nothing like a Chinese, but a Malay - near Indian. Everyone has been looking at me one kind, asking me "How come u r so dark?!" To answer that, i've repeated umpteenth times by saying "cos i just came back from the beach". If it is girls who asked me, they would continue by saying "haha! sure never apply sun block!" but if it is guys who asked me, they would just nod their head, simple answer.

Why on earth would a guy like me apply sun block? so mafan. have to bring extra load, have to flip open the bottle cap, terbalik-kan the bottle, squeezeeeee the bottle, apply and massage onto body. eeeeeeeeeee...... just too girly! Instead, i would just take off my shirt, and get my whole body tanned evenly. However i think i got over-tanned? and my skin is starting to shed. (i sound like a snake)

Perhaps, i should let down my ego, and apply NIVEA's Intensive Moisturising Milk with Avocado Oil - DRY SKIN edition to my shedding skin??? Can i see a hands up from girls? hahahaha!


6 Dugongs, 1 dead

Anyway, on day 2, we went half skinny dipping at 8 in the morning, and it was like dipping in north pole! it's just so cold!!! Imagine yourself dipping inch by inch deeper, when it reaches your lower abdomen, the feeling is just unbearable rite? Out of a sudden, you would jump up like a compressed spring DOINK!


From left to right : Dugong, Peace penyu, Dugong, Dugong, Dead Dugong, high-5 penyu

By the way, Kapas' water is as clear as Redang's, but the corals aren't as nice as Redang's, 70% are dead corals. The beach boy said that because Kapas is near to mainland, it was exposed to pollution and the monsoon, so they can't do anything about it. However, Pulau Kapas is still one of the favourite turtle landing spots, i'm not sure Redang has any or not though. And lucky me, there was turtle landing on Kapas the night before and turtle hatching on the next day! So, we decided to go kayaking to the adjacent island - Pulau Germia, where the hatchings were held.


The Machos...

Paid RM5 / person, wore on the life jacket and started paddling for about 20 minutes. Pulau Germia was circumfered by floats, marking the protected territory that the government imposed on it, something like water reserved land. Once we paddled till the shore, quickly we pull the kayak up and walked to the plastic barrel-built jetty.

wahhh!!!!!!!!! 1st time seeing baby turtles! they are just so cute! so HYPERactive! so wanna get out of the netting cage! swim swim swim left! swim swim swim right! hahaha.... once awhile, 1 will get it's big flipper hands stuck to the net and the beach boy will help loosen it out. We were not allowed to touch them, but only to snap pictures.


Penyu : I wanna go out! let me out of here!


Penyu #1 : Hey u! stop stepping on me! u think u very small size issit!?

Me : Bang, penyu apa ni?
Bboy : Agar, Penyu Agar. Then with an english accent that he tried so hard... Green-back Turtle!
Me : ooo.... comelnya... Ada berapa sini?
Bboy : 113! semalam baru menetas.

They are just 1 day old. It seems there were 129 eggs, 16 didn't make it to planet earth, but only made it to planet heaven. The beach boy also explained to me that the hatchings depend on weather condition and temperature. If most of the time it's sunny, more eggs will hatch. Maybe the eggie feels a warm welcome above the sand? Then, the mischievous me asked...

Me : Bang, kenapa panggil Green-back? tak hijau pun?! semua itam-itam.
*silence for 5 seconds
Bboy : Dulu kau masih muda, bawah sana ada bulu tak? takde kan? sekarang baru ada kan? Sama-lah macam ni.. skarang dia hitam... nanti tua skit, baru tukar hijau haaaa...... hahahhaha

*laughing cheekily
Me : *smacks my forehead with right palm, speechless!!!

what an example, mr beach boy. hahaha! he then said that this batch of 113 would be released into the sea once the next batch of eggs hatches. These baby penyus will be feeding on sea weeds on the surface of the sea for the next few months as it can't survive in the deep yet (not fit enough). He also said that there might be a possibility of only 50% or less surviving in the end, because of being prey to fishes and birds. Just as he finished saying that, i looked upon the big blue sky. There were 2 seagulls doing their rounds, sigh!


Penyu : U and me... we are meant to be together. I love u Honey.

The big sea is awaiting these baby penyus to join the ecosystem, hope they manage to be a survivor and come back to Malaysia and visit us ya!