The Turtle Conservation and Education Center at Serangan Island Bali

Serangan Bali has beautiful landscape and amazing marine life. This island is also serving as turtle conservation in Bali. The Turtle Conservation and Education Center or TCEC is part of government comprehensive strategy to eradicate illegal trade of turtle.

The turtle sanctuary was officially established on January 20, 2006 at the area of 2.4 hectare in Serangan, Denpasar City, Bali.

Let's take a closer look about the Turtle Conservation in Serangan Island!

1. The Turtle Conservation

2. Nesting and Hatching Season

3. The Location And Access

4. Island Conditions

5. Coastal Ecosystem

6. Attraction Around The Conservation Center

7. History Of The Name "Serangan"

Serangan Island Turtle Conservation Centre

The fundamental aspect of TCEC include: ending the turtle trade by encouraging the public not to consume turtle products and support turtle conservation; providing turtles for rituals (without their killing) so that so that their use can be strictly controlled and regulated; employment opportunities for local residents in Serangan; and act as a watchdog turtle trade in Serangan and Bali in general.

There are three species of sea turtles are kept and raised in TCEC include Green Sea Turtle, Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, and Hawksbill Sea Turtle.

The existence of these turtles are currently in a dangerous condition. This is attributed not only by poaching and human consumption but also the sea pollution and damage of beaches where the turtle eggs hatch naturally.

TCEC run four functions includes education, tourism, conservation and research. It also serves as the protection and hatchery. The management also buys turtle eggs from the fisherman to be put in the hatchery until ready to be released.

Serangan Island Turtle Conservation Centre is supported by WWF, The Governor of Bali, The government of Denpasar City, BKSDA Bali, and the local community.

The comprehensive strategy, community empowerment, and advocacy carried out by Bali Local Government and WWF has significantly decrease the number of turtle trafficked and also the turtle traders.

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Nesting and Hatching Season in Serangan

Sea turtle nesting season at Serangan start from June to September. At the nesting season the female turtles emerge from the sea at night to reach the beach and finding a location for a suitable nesting site. Once the chamber is formed, she will begin contractions. She will drop between one to four eggs In each contraction.

On the average, female turtle will lay about 110 eggs in each nest. The females will lay eggs and make a nest about 2 to 8 nests in one nesting season. Once the contraction process is complete, the female turtles will leave the nest, heading to the beach and swim back to the ocean. Naturally, eggs and hatchlings produced by female turtle will be left to fend for themselves and find water after emerging from the sand.

Unfortunately in Serangan, the turtle egg poachers often take eggs from nests that had been closed by the mother turtles. This is really a dilemma. Egg poachers do this for subsistence reasons. The conservation decides to purchase the eggs from the egg poachers. The decision to buying the eggs was viewed as the most viable option in order to save the eggs.

After that, the eggs are placed in hatchery which has measurement about 3 meters wide and 3.5 meters long. The hatchery capacity is 30 nests within 90-150 eggs each nest. The eggs take 45-60 days to develop, hatch, and become hatchlings. The hatchlings are only 5 centimeters in length. They are being placed in the tanks for a month until they grow to around 20 cm and then released to the sea.

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The Location And Access

Serangan Island Turtle Conservation Centre is located in the District of South Denpasar, Bali. There is a bridge that connects the island to Bali mainland.

This location can be reached from the Ngurah Rai International Airport for about 11 kilometers or 20 minutes. Visitors can also access these conservation center from Denpasar City to the south for about 10 kilometers or 30 minutes.

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Island Conditions

The topographical condition in Serangan Bali is characterized by a flat relief of fluvial plains formed by the erosion and sediments. The island has a height between 0 - 25 meters above sea level.

This island has a moderately climate category (based on climate classification map Schmidt-Ferguson) with humid month occurs between October and April. This island is covered by seasonal tropical forest with tree species that dropping leaves on dry season and leafy back when the rainy season.

The type of soil is categorized as Alluvial Hydromorphic with physical characteristics: gray color, textured clay and has a slow permeability. The rock formation is Alluvium Sediment formed during Quaternary Holocene. This rock type consists of gravel, sand, silt, clay as sediment deposition of river and coastal.

Waters territorial in the western part has superficial depth of 0-3 meters. The northern part with a depth of 1-5 meters. While the eastern and southern part has depth between 0-40 meters.

A process of reclamation in Serangan Bali occurred in 1995 until 1998 with the addition of the island area of 111 hectare to 481 hectare and is divided into the land owned by local and the land owned by BTID. Land ownership between BTID and local residents are separated by canals.

Change in environmental conditions occurred during the reclamation process such as damage to coral reefs, rare fish species and change in local livelihood.

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Coastal Ecosystem On Serangan

Serangan Bali has a diversity of ecosystems consisting of coral reefs, mangroves and seagrasses. The third element of this coastal ecosystem is well aligned, especially in terms of physical interactions, nutrients, dissolved organic matter, particulate organic matter, animal migrations, human impact and consequences of destruction and disturbance.

Mangrove ecosystems found around the bridge, around Sakenan Temple, northern part and southern part around the Lebangan Bay. While Seagrasses and Coral Reefs are in the north, eastern, and southern part.

These valuable ecosystems provide broad benefits such as raw materials and food, coastal protection, erosion control, water purification, maintenance of fisheries, carbon sequestration, tourism, recreation, education and research.

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Tourist Attraction Around The Conservation Center

1. Beaches

Visitors can enjoy the beauty of flat-type beach and white sandy on Serangan Bali. Shallow and calm water conditions is making the beach suitable for swimming activities, sunbathing or just walking along the coast.Water sports activity also can be done here: seawalker underwater, snorkeling, skiing jack, donut boat, banana boat, fly fishing, parasailing, wakeboard and waterski. Beaches have a beautiful underwater panorama and coral reefs. Visitors can visit this spot at the northern part of this small island which is also the location of Melasti ceremony held by local Hindu population.

If visitors venturing a little to the southern part of the island and pass through a row of cypress trees, there is a white sandy beach directly opposite the beach of Tanjung Benoa. Condition of tourism facilities at this beach is limited because it is a land property right of BTID, but offer less crowded conditions. Visitors can enjoy more time and rent canoes, swimming, sunbathing or a quiet walk down the white sand. A white sandy beach with panoramic views overlooking the blue ocean and Tanjung Benoa.

2. Surfing

This amazing island is also a destination for surfers. The beach is one of "The Best Surf Point in Bali" and offers huge and strong waves. The water at beach edge is relatively quiet. But at the shore break in the middle ocean, the waves were big and strong. It made the surfer enjoy the surfing adventure on Serangan Bali. The rainy season is right time to surf. This is because the wind blows from the south-west towards the east and generate large and strong waves.

3. Mangroves

The mangrove forest ecosystems give tremendous benefits not only for the local population, but also the surrounding areas. Mangroves play an important role as a bastion of sea water abrasion. The mangrove forest also has the ability to store carbon in high quantity. Mangrove is an ecosystem, home for animals consist of reptiles, mammals, birds, and several species of fish, shrimp, crabs, plankton, etc. A healthy mangroves condition reflects the quality of marine ecology.

Facing the problems of mangrove degradation, a broad range of stakeholders including Bali government, private sector, NGO, communities and locals work together for the restoration of mangrove forests and planting of mangrove trees.

4. Fishing

Serangan Bali is also a very attractive fishing spot. This island location is surrounded by sea waters, Badung Strait and part of Ngurah Rai mangrove forest, makes this island as a place of various species of fish, squid, shrimp, turtles, plankton and so on. On holidays many visitors come to the island for fishing.

5. Artificial Lake

Visitors can explore until the southern coast. Close to this location there are artificial lakes. These lake-shaped basins have forest background and the front surrounded by revetment to prevent the ingress of seawater directly. There's footpath along this revetment. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of this artificial lake through the footpath. Walking along the lake edge while enjoying the ocean view on the beach side. This lake is part of a project implemented by the BTID.

6. Serangan Marine Garden

The Marine Garden is located in Banjar Pojok, Serangan Bali. Visitors can enjoy the beauty beneath the sea through the "Sea Garden" which is set in aquariums. The place is managed by Yayasan Bali Alami cooperated with the Omega Group Kyowa in Japan. The objective of establishing the Serangan Marine Garden is to introduce the beauty of marine life to students and community. Through the exhibition space marine park is expected to generate a desire to preserve the marine life species, fish and coral reefs.

7. Spiritual

As well as the beauty of nature and the sea, Serangan Bali also keeps spiritual values. This is evident from the existence of Sakenan Temple. Sakenan Temple included in Samudra Kertih serve to maintain harmony and preservation of marine life and natural resources.

This temple serves as stana Sang Hyang Sandhijaya or Varuna as the god of the sea and ocean, eliminating all obstacles, diseases, purifies all kind of butha, kalla and people. Sakenan Temple existence is mentioned in ancient manuscript consist of Lontar Usana Bali, Lontar Dwijendra Tattwa, and Purana Pura Sakenan.

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The History Of The Name "Serangan"

There is a story related to the presence of Serangan Bali. Preceded by the story of a village hit by disaster, the entire population is swallowed by a bird called Garuda. But the Garuda could not swallow the last man of the village.

Garuda was flying erratically until arrive at south bay. The Garuda submerse his body while his legs keep scratching the ground. After so long scratching the ground then the soil is accumulated and formed a land. In this land Garuda spewed a man who could not swallowed by him. After coming out this man is called "I Utah Garuda". Then Garuda said to him,"Hey Utah Garuda,.. You are the chosen man! I hope you can live happily on this island". Then Garuda flew back and I Utah Garuda was settled in this land.

The fishermen who used to fishing on the location were surprised by the presence of new land also with the man. Fishermen also asked about I Utah Garuda and the land. I Utah Garuda cannot explain and just understand that he cannot be swallowed up and spewed out on the mainland by Garuda. The fishermen feel pity and compassion about it. Some of fisherman give some food and invite him to stay at their home, but he insisted to live in that land.

The fishermen were finally promise if they get a lot of fish, they will bring more food and make him a shelter. It turned out that the fishermen managed to get a lot of catches, and news of I Utah Garuda was dispersed. A lot of people came, made a cottage and shrines for him. Several people also settled on that island.

I Utah Garuda along with the people who live there eventually form a social system that is known as Desa Adat Serangan. The name comes from the word "Sire" and "Angen". In Bali language "sane kelangen" which means "those who have feelings of affection and compassion". Furthermore, the plain called Serangan.

This is a spectacular island and worth a visit. Take your time to travel to Serangan Bali, hopefully helpful and thank you!

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Reference

1. google.co.id
2. wikipedia.org
3. BPS Kota Denpasar
4. Dinas Pariwisata Provinsi Bali
5. Image : Original Collection
6. Distance and Time : Google Maps Mobile
7. Geological: Geological Map of The Bali Sheet, Nusatenggara, 1998
8. Climate: Climate Classification Map (Schmidt-Ferguson) of BALI from BMKG Wilayah III Denpasar

Searches on this site related to Turtle Conservation:

1. Kuta Beach Turtle Conservation.