Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre

Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre was established in 1990 and is managed by the Department of Fisheries Melaka. Later, it was officiated by Y.A.B. Datuk Abu Zahar bin Haji Isnin on 3 July 1997. Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre was set up as an effort towards turtle conservation and to monitor the appearance of turtles in the Melaka beach area.

Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre houses an exhibition gallery and an audiovisual room. Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre now serves as a hatchery and also an information centre to raise awareness among the general public. As their numbers have been declining, Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre together with World Wildlife Federation undertakes great effort to save these turtles from extinction.

These were dead Hawsbill turtles confiscated from the Hainan fisherman.

They were now being preserved and exhibited in Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre. You can still touch and get the feel of the turtle. And please DO NOT consume turtle meats or eggs. We don’t want anymore turtles to end up here.

Hawksbill turtle swimming in the pond in Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre.

There are actually two Hawksbill turtles being kept here for conservation purposes. They are only 5 years old. These turtles will be released to the wild once they reaches maturity and are suitable for mating.

Hawksbill turtle got its name because of it has a eagle-like beaks and is regarded as one of the most beautiful species of marine turtles due to its striking golden brown pattern of its carapace. Many use their shell as decorations and Hawksbill turtle eggs are also delicacies among the locals. Due to these factors, Hawsbill turtle are being hunted for their shells and eggs for decades. The Fisheries Rules (Turtles and Turtle’s Eggs) was enacted in 1989 to protect these eggs from over-harvesting and only licensed egg collectors are allowed to collect turtle eggs. All the turtle eggs collected are incubated in the hatchery at Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre.

Melaka has an average of 400 Hawksbill turtle nesting sites and is the second largest nesting area for the Hawksbill turtle in South East Asia, just behind Sabah’s Turtle Island. Major nesting beaches in Melaka includes Pulau Upeh, Terendak Camp, Padang Kemunting, Tanjung Bidara, Balik Batu, Pasir Gembur, Tanjung Dahan, Tanjung Serai and Meriam Patah, with Pulau Upeh being the highest nesting site.

This Green Turtle – nicknamed Yoke, is brought in all the way from Terengganu – only a year old. 

The nesting season will be somewhere around March and September, with May, June and July being the peak season. Also, you can check with Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre to find out when are they releasing the turtle. So, remember to visit Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre when you’re in Melaka! There are plenty of chalets and resorts along Pengkalan Balak beach, with Ismah Beach Resort, Kemunting Beach Resort and D’ Nelayan Beach Resort being the main ones.

Location

Address: Jalan Tuan Haji Baharom Ludin, Kampung Tanjong Bidara, 78300 Masjid Tanah, Melaka
GPS Coordinate: N 2.308162, E 102.075584

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Operation Hour

Tuesday to Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Contact Details

Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre
Tel: 06 – 384 6754

Department of Fisheries Malacca
Tel: 06 – 3172485

@amazingmelaka.com