Y T L' S

NATURAL WONDERS
N O .1VO I CE O F CO N S ER VAT I O N

APR ’23

TURTLE
WATCH
Near Tanjong Jara Resort is a protected beach where,
between April and October each year, green turtles andpainted terrapins come ashore to lay their eggs.

A WELCOMEMESSAGEFROM JUSTIN JUHUN

the mangroves which ring the island has helped prevent
erosion of its coastlines. These mangroves are also a usefulcarbon sink for the atmosphere and encourage a flourishingbio-diversity where guests will be able to spot crabs, hornbillsand other beautiful creatures while kayaking through theserene mangrove forest.
When in Gaya Island Resort, please stop by our Marine Centre
and say hi to our resident green sea turtle. It was rescued
during the height of the global pandemic and was hence given
the name Covid. Over time, rehabilitation has helped it regain
its strength and we look forward to the day it will rejoin its
brothers and sisters in the open sea.
The unique locations of YTL Hotels continuously provide plentyof opportunities for us to support conservation as well. On theeast coast of peninsular Malaysia, Tanjong Jara Resort sits
along a beautiful sandy coastline that has been the preferredhatching grounds for turtles since time immemorial. Ourpartnership there with the Lang Tengah Turtle Watch allows us
to establish turtle nests, protect breeding sites from poachers
and natural predators, and effectively increase hatching andsurvival rates of baby turtles, all of which are endangered.
Off the western coast of peninsular Malaysia, the ever-popular
Pangkor Laut Resort is also a hotbed of activity with regards toreef restoration. In the waters off this beautiful private island,
our efforts to rehabilitate the coral reefs began in 2011 withReef Check Malaysia. We have continued the effort ofpopulating these waters with coral fragments and to great
success! Over 88 per cent of the corals are thriving and now
offer a mini ecosystem for the teeming marine life (which youwill encounter on a dive or snorkel).

Dear guests,
It is with great pleasure that we bring you this newsletter, withheart-warming updates of YTL Hotels' key sustainability andenvironmental initiatives.
On Gaya Island Resort - located within the 4,929-hectare Tunku
Abdul Rahman Marine Park, we are seeing the fruits of ourcontinual efforts - since 2014 - in repopulating mangroves. Intotal, over 3,000 mangrove saplings have been planted on theisland with a 75 per cent success rate. Our work on protecting

T H E N AT U R A L W O N D E R S

With this, I wish you happy reading and hope that we will
welcome you soon to our resorts, where you can also enjoy ourconservation activities and connect with nature in a meaningfulway, creating your own treasured moment in the mostauthentic way.
Yours sincerely,

Justin Juhun
Director of Conservation

PAG E 2

ENRICHING THE MANGROVE FORESTS FOR THE FUTURE
The shorelines of Gaya Island Resort are fringed by rare
mangrove forests that are at least a century old. Mangroves aretropical shrubs and trees that thrive in muddy, salty conditions,and are often found along coastlines, rivers and estuaries, near
sandy beaches and coral reefs.

many marine species. They also act as a form of natural
defence against erosion, rising sea levels and storm surges.
More significantly, mangroves are able to absorb carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere and store vast amounts ofcarbon for many thousands of years in their waterlogged soils.

They support a rich bio-diversity, with their underwater roots
providing a valuable nursing environment to the juveniles of

Cognisant of the many environmental benefits of mangrove
forests, Gaya Island Resort established a mangrove nursery inG AYA I S L A N D R E S O R T

PAG E 3

2014 and developed a box planting method for the saplings.
Initially, the boxes were constructed from recycled plywood.
Later, they were replaced with concrete hexagonal blocks for
greater durability and stability. In total, 3,000 mangrove
saplings were planted, and over the years, they have growninto shrubs at a 75% success rate.
In line with its commitment to ecological conservation, theResort launched the Gaya Island Resort Wildlife Centre in
October 2016. Headed by Justin Juhun, the Resort’s Resident
Naturalist, the Centre carries out nature and wildlife preservation initiatives, including research, study and rescue or careof wildlife species at the biological station, as well as
educates visitors on the diverse species of wildlife andbotanic reserves found on the island.
The Resort’s visitor programmes include unique kayak
expeditions into the mangrove forests where guests may
catch glimpses of mangrove crabs, oriental pied hornbills,
monitor lizards and many other beautiful creatures; andnature walks in the ancient rainforests with the Resident
Naturalist as guide to point out the flora and fauna of Gaya.

G AYA I S L A N D R E S O R T

PAG E 4

TURTLE WATCH AT TANJONG JARA RESORTNear Tanjong Jara Resort is a protected beach where, between April and October each year,
green turtles and painted terrapins come ashore to lay their eggs.
In 2016, Tanjong Jara Resort established the Turtle Watch atTanjong Jara Resort in an exclusive partnership with Lang
Tengah Turtle Watch, a turtle conservation organisation. TheTurtle Watch at Tanjong Jara Resort embodies the Resort’scommitment to live harmoniously with its natural surroundings
and to protect and conserve its local fauna. The Turtle Watch
team incubates the turtle nests in the hatchery to protect
them from poachers and predators, thus increasing theirhatching success rate.
Since the inception of its turtle conservation project in 2016,
the Turtle Watch at Tanjong Jara Resort has rescued 94,809
eggs from 1,094 nests and released more than 73,000
hatchlings into the sea. Originally located on the beach near
the Nelayan Restaurant in the Resort, a new hatchery was built
next to the Turtle Watch’s Visitors’ Hut in April 2022. This wasnecessary and unprecedented due to the prolonged monsoon
season, which had made the beaches unsuitable for incubatingnests. Later when the tides receded, another hatchery wasbuilt on the beach.

TA N J O N G JA R A R E S O R T

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The Turtle Watch at Tanjong Jara Resort entered its seventh
year this year, and as the COVID-19 pandemic drew to an end,
conservation efforts shifted into higher gear. In the past 12
months, 21,500 eggs were rescued from 293 nests and 17,441
hatchlings were released into the sea, with an average 81%
hatching success rate. Furthermore, 16,369 endangered green
sea turtle hatchlings emerged from the 20,066 eggs that wereincubating in the 206 nests; while 1,072 critically endangered
painted terrapin hatchlings emerged from the 1,434 eggs
incubating in the 87 nests.

TA N J O N G JA R A R E S O R T

A double-headed green turtle hatchling called Faith & Hopewas also born in August 2022. Under the tender care of theteam at the Turtle Conservation and Information Centre, it
grew to a length of 50cm and weight of 42g, before it sadly
died in November. The chances of survival for double-headed
hatchlings are extremely slim due to various health implications
arising from the fact that they share the same lungs, heart andother vital organs.

PAG E 6

COVID, THE GREEN SEA TURTLE
Covid, an endangered green sea turtle, was found floating inthe sea by a staff member of Gaya Island Resort in May 2020 at
the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a large open
crack across the rear part of its shell, probably the result of aboat strike, and the gaping wound was severely infected.
Covid was immediately taken to the Gaya Island Resort Marine
Centre for treatment. Turtle conservation efforts at the Centre
are focused on the 3Rs of Rescue (identifying and acquiring
turtles at risk), Rehabilitate (providing sick or injured turtles
with a safe place for recovery and administration of care), andRelease (rehabilitated turtles will be released with GPS trackers
to ascertain their progress and contribute to ongoing turtle
research). Over the years, the Centre has rescued 23 turtles andreleased nine.
At the Centre, Covid the turtle was found to have had a relatively
large growth in its neck area. In addition, its rear flippers did not
move, and it was not able to dive. However, the benign tumour inCovid’s neck area has since been removed, and its healing is now
progressing well. The Centre suspects the tumour was the resultof, or had been worsened by, Covid’s floating angle, as it always
had to look up due to its wounded rear causing it to be pulled
downwards.

G AYA I S L A N D R E S O R T

The Centre’s team of experts, led by Resident Marine Biologist,
Scott Mayback, also noted that there was no movement in
Covid’s rear flippers when it swam. Typically, the rear flippersfunction as rudders. However, in Covid’s case, they either hunglimp or were closed in a clamping position. This may havebeen the result of nerve damage from the boat strike. Thus,
acupuncturists were invited to examine Covid, and found thatits rear flippers still functioned. Despite not being used forswimming, they responded to pin pricks and tugging, with
one flipper stronger than the other. Acupuncture to the rear
flippers has now been incorporated into Covid’s rehabilitation
programme.
Covid has also been prescribed weight therapy, where weights
are added to and removed from Covid’s shell in incrementaldegrees. The purpose of this is to help Covid regulate the amountof air in its lungs and eventually maintain its own buoyancy.
Covid is growing stronger and better by the day. The crack
in its shell has closed naturally. However, it is not yet readyto be released back into the sea. The next phase of Covid’s
rehabilitation programme is to provide it with sufficient space
to dive deeper and reacclimatise to the ocean environment.

PAG E 7

CORAL REEF RESTORATION AT PANGKOR LAUT RESORTCorals planted on the cement blocks next to Pangkor Laut
Jetty are doing well. We recorded new coral recruits that havenaturally attached to the concrete blocks which means corals
are reproducing in the area and the cement blocks are acting asa suitable substrate for the coral larvae to attach on and grow.
This initiative has helped to protect the area and we are now able
to see many fish species hiding among the blocks. We recordedDamsels, Butterflyfish, Snappers, Groupers and sweetlips inthe area. Besides the branching corals that we planted, we also
noticed encrusting corals growing on the concrete blocks alongwith sponges and ascidians.

PA N G KO R L AU T R E SO R T

PAG E 8

Published every quarter, the Natural Wonders - Voice of Conservation
aims to share the latest conservation news from our collection ofLuxury Resorts in Malaysia. Discover the infinite variety, complexity,
sheer beauty of the natural environment and the passion of its
people that make each resort an exceptional experience.

YTL Hotels Travel Centre, Level 2, YTL Plaza,
55 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my | +60 3 2783 1000
www.ytlhotels.com