She’s back but no eggs: NParks tracking hawksbill turtle after 2nd failed East Coast nesting bid

SINGAPORE – Trash, a steep slope and a wonky flipper were no deterrent to a critically endangered hawksbill turtle, which crawled ashore in an attempt to lay its eggs at East Coast Park on July 10.

This was yet another try by the female amid the peak of Singapore’s 2026 sea turtle nesting season.

Unfortunately, the turtle returned to the sea with no eggs laid, although the authorities managed to put a satellite tracker on its shell, which will allow them to monitor its movements.

The park is a known hot spot for nesting hawksbills, which help maintain the health of coral reef systems by controlling sponge populations, among other things.

The turtle was first spotted by healthcare industry worker Paola Ng, who volunteers with the National Parks Board (NParks) biodiversity beach patrol to monitor sea turtle and horseshoe crab populations.

The patrol is part of NParks’ efforts since 2016 to conserve marine turtles by working together with the public, academic institutions and other members of the community.

Ng, who reached the park at about 6am, told The Straits Times: “The turtle got stuck with all the trash for quite a bit. I’m very impressed with her resilience because she kept resting and trying.”

The hawksbill turtle, named after its bird-like beak, had emerged from the sea to lay eggs at another spot earlier that morning, but was unsuccessful and returned to the waters at about 6.20am.

Over roughly four hours, the female tirelessly made at least two attempts to nest.

By about 8.30am, it was watched from a distance by NParks staff and Ng. After the turtle abandoned another nesting attempt, three staff stepped forward to attach a satellite tracker.

Light and noise can scare turtles, causing them to leave without laying any eggs.

Checks on the hawksbill’s flipper tags confirmed that it was the same female that had unsuccessfully attempted to lay eggs on June 22.

The tracker will allow NParks to accurately map the hawksbills’ nesting areas, as sea turtles are known to lay multiple clutches of eggs during a season, said Collin Tong, deputy director of the coastal and marine branch of NParks’ National Biodiversity Centre.

With a battery life of up to 12 months, the satellite tracker will also help to pinpoint the hawksbills’ feeding grounds and where they go after they have finished laying their eggs.

For instance, satellite tags have revealed that two nesting female turtles originated from the Riau Islands in Indonesia.

Tong noted that the turtle on July 10 had been first spotted in 2020, but has not succeeded in its efforts to nest over the years.

These failures were likely because of a broken right hind flipper. “She’s only left with three flippers… so that might have made it harder for her to nest,” Tong said.

However, he believes that the turtle could try to nest again, citing how it had just climbed a steep slope in its latest attempt.

At 10.26am, a cloth used to minimise the turtle’s stress was removed, and it was released into the waters off the park, where preparatory works for the Long Island reclamation project are slated to begin at the end of 2026.

When completed decades from now, the project will reclaim some 800ha of land about twice the size of Marina Bay for housing, coastal protection, and other purposes, eventually turning the waters off East Coast Park into a freshwater reservoir.

An environmental study found that preparatory works for the site could impede the critically endangered hawksbill turtles from reaching nesting sites along East Coast Park, and potentially disorient hatchlings.

Ahead of the impending reclamation, eggs laid in unsuitable sites have been actively relocated to the turtle hatchery at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, as sea turtles are known to return to the areas where they hatch.

Set up in 2018, the hatchery boosts hatchling survival rates in a protected area free from heavy human traffic and light pollution.

National Biodiversity Centre’s group director Karenne Tun said the agency regularly monitors turtle sightings, nests and hatchlings, tracking the success factors for nests.

“This allows NParks to introduce interventions where possible at each stage of the turtle life cycle to increase the chances of survival,” she said.

Ng believes that the sea turtles will continue arriving in Singapore after the development of Long Island, but ways have to be found to help them navigate the change.

“From my experience today, having seen what this particular turtle did, I’m hopeful that they have the resilience to go through the obstacles, but the question is how much more can we support them through the creation of Long Island.”

Later in the day, the NParks team also uncovered a sea turtle nest likely destroyed by a monitor lizard, one of the common predators for nestlings at East Coast Park.

Any data collected from sea turtles will allow NParks to better conserve the hawksbills, which are known to nest here from May to October.

As at June 25, five sightings of sea turtles have been reported for the 2026 nesting season, with four nests detected so far.

The hawksbill is one of two sea turtle species recorded in Singapore. The other is the green turtle, which has been spotted in local waters but has not been recorded nesting here, unlike in neighbouring Malaysia.

Those who spot hatchlings or a nesting turtle should call the NParks helpline at 1800-471-7300.

Members of the public are advised to keep a safe distance, speak softly to keep noise levels down, and avoid touching the animals.

For more information on what to do when encountering these animals, visit this website.