Phuket –
Local lifeguards and municipal staff discovered the decomposing carcass of a large female green sea turtle washed ashore on Naiharn Beach. The turtle, believed to have been preparing to lay eggs, was found with 82 fertilized eggs still inside her body.
Officials from the Upper Andaman Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center (UAMCRC) told the Phuket Express this week that they were called to investigate. Upon examination, the adult turtle was found to be in robust physical condition prior to death, with a shell measuring 97 cm wide and 111 cm long, and an estimated weight of 130 kilograms. However, her body was severely decomposed, with reproductive organs and eggs protruding from the abdomen.
The necropsy revealed no signs of entanglement or drowning. Instead, the turtle’s digestive tract contained small algae, shell fragments, mud—and disturbingly, soft plastic waste, nylon, and synthetic twine. While these materials were not identified as the direct cause of death, they highlight the ongoing threat of marine pollution. The turtle’s intestines lacked natural food sources, suggesting she may have suffered from illness or exhaustion, possibly linked to starvation.
Experts believe the turtle had approached the shore to nest, as this period coincides with the green sea turtle’s breeding season. Sadly, her death prevented the laying of dozens of viable eggs, a loss not only for her species but for the fragile marine ecosystem.
