Huge changes occurred on Gili Trawangan when the government took to the beach and ordered the clearance of all buildings and structures on the sandy side of Trawangan’s main path.
The government informed all the businesses to take structures, tables and sunbeds off the beach. Although they are still clearing the rubble and foundations, our beaches are now reverting back to their natural state. You can actually see the sea from the main street and the beach isn’t littered with little jewellery stands and restaurants. A true tropical paradise is reviving!
This has made a massive change for the turtles around the island that found their way back to make their nest on the beach. In a weeks’ time, three hawksbill turtles laid their eggs on the beach on the east side. Turtles need clean, dark and peaceful beaches to dig their nests and now Gili is starting to be the perfect example of this!
It’s a great accomplishment for Gili Trawangan to house the nests of hawksbill turtles, as they appear on the IUCN list as critically endangered. Around the Gili Islands, the two main turtle species are green and hawksbill turtles. Hawksbill eggs need 60 days of incubation before they hatch. The biggest reason for the hawksbill to be endangered is human activity. Turtle eggs are still seen as a delicacy in Indonesia and if they survive to juvenile or adulthood, they are fished for their flesh or decorative shell, despite being a protected species.
This article was shared in May of 2017.