Rantau Abang (Jawi: رنتاو ابڠ) is a small village in Dungun District, Terengganu, Malaysia, which used to be known for its leatherback sea turtle nesting.[1]
Rantau Abang | |
|---|---|
 Town in Malaysia | |
  Rantau Abang Rantau Abang in Terengganu, Malay Peninsular and Malaysia  Rantau Abang Rantau Abang (Peninsular Malaysia)  Rantau Abang Rantau Abang (Malaysia) | |
| Coordinates: 4°52′15″N 103°23′22″E / 4.87083°N 103.38944°E | |
| Country |  Malaysia |
| State |  Terengganu |
| District | Dungun |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (MYT) |
| Postal code | 23050 |
It is located 22 km north of Kuala Dungun and 80 km south of Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia.
At one time, every year during the months of May to August, the turtles would come ashore and lay their eggs. However, the number of sea turtles that lay their eggs has severely decreased in recent years. It has been estimated that during the 1950s over 10,000 of these turtles called the beaches on Rantau Abang their sanctuary. Recently the local government declared these turtles extinct as no turtle landings have been sighted for quite some time.[2] The biggest reasons for the decline have been poachers who take the turtle eggs and sell them in local villages, as turtle eggs are a local delicacy, and disturbance from tourists.[3] The Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre has been set up in Rantau Abang to spearhead conservation efforts.
The beach is safe for swimming, and is still used for other tourist activities.[4]
References edit
- ^ "Sea Turtle Conservation in Malaysia". Wild Asia. Archived from the original on 1 December 2005.
- ^ FMT, news (28 April 2019). "Gone are the turtles that once made Rantau Abang famous". Free Malaysia Today. FMT Media Sdn Bhd. FMT News. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
{{cite news}}:|first1=has generic name (help) - ^ "Rantau Abang". malaysia.com. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ "Rantau Abang Beach". Terengganu Tourism. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
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