We were living in Kerteh, Terengganu when my Dutch friend..........hope for the future of sea turtles in this part of the world.

We were living in Kerteh, Terengganu when my Dutch friend came to visit. Caroline was interested in all creatures big and small. Turtle watching is a big attraction in the East Coast of Terengganu, and we were told by all the local 'experts' that our best chance for a sighting of a leatherback turtle was the beach at Rantau Abang, 16 km north of Kuala Dungun. We all knew that the giant leatherback turtles come only once a year to lay their eggs. The rest of the time they are known to wander as far away as Madagascar in East Africa.

Each year, beginning in May and ending in September, they come to this part of Terengganu. Rantau Abang is only one of six beaches in the world where the leatherback turtles lay their eggs. It is possible to sight a few in July but the best month is August when the moon is full. Tonight was such a night. By the time Caroline had heard all the probabilities, she was determined to go.

I had witnessed such an event when I was a child. I remembered the excitement and offered to drive Caroline there. I told her to put on a parka and I made some sandwiches and a pot of coffee.

We arrived at Rantau Abang and saw a crowd on the beach. There were children running on the beach and I was secretly pleased when an old man from the village came and scolded them. He told them the turtles did not like noise or bright lights. Immediately, several teenagers switched off their video cameras. Parents gathered their children and persuaded them to lie down under the trees. It was 9 p.m. and we were told we had a three-hour wait. I sat under a casuarina, poked by numerous pine cones, and looked at the beautiful moon.

I must have dozed off because I was suddenly awakened by a shout. I saw people running all around us. Apparently, a turtle had been sighted further up the beach.

I woke Caroline up and realized a chilly breeze was blowing from the sea. It was not easy to run on the soft sand. I felt strangely excited even though it was not my first time. We walked about half a mile and then I saw it. The turtle had already crawled up the beach and dug a deep hole. She was about 3 meters in length. A man whispered that she must weigh about 700 kilograms. I was impressed. After much heavy breathing, she 'delivered' about 100 eggs, each egg the size of a ping pong ball. She stopped several times. I saw 'tears' in her eyes. I attributed this to pain, but was later told that the tears kept the sand from her eyes.

I was fascinated by the number of eggs and her noisy breathing but we watched in silence. I was upset because I saw a man lifting out some eggs in his hands to show a tour group. The turtle was still laying eggs. A young boy lifted a flipper. Another climbed on the turtle's back. They were obviously showing off. I ignored their pranks but Caroline became very annoyed. She tried to pull one boy off. I knew this was not going to be well received by the local villagers. I pulled Caroline away and distracted her attention by pointing to some goats in a pen.

The turtle took nearly an hour. Then she made her way clumsily back into the sea. The instant she hit water, the clumsy creature transformed into a graceful swimmer. I heard Caroline gasp.

The experience was indeed an extraordinary one, but I am not sure I will ever be able to do it again. I may not have a chance because I read newspaper reports saying that there have not been any sightings in Malaysia in recent years. I have seen a leatherback in a tank and was very depressed. However, what sticks in my memory in the night at Rantau Abang is the coarse behavior of some of the crowd. That will not be easy to forget.

I have since been to the marine park near Pulau Redang and saw some turtles raised in captivity. The efforts of the Turtle Research Team will give hope for the future of sea turtles in this part of the world.

Summary: The giant leatherback turtle comes once a year between May and September to lay its eggs in Rantau Abang.Terengganu. Rantau Abang is one of only six beaches in the world where they lay their eggs. When we arrived, the beach was crowded with adults and noisy children. There was a full moon. The turtle came up near midnight. It crawled up the beach. It was about 3 meters in length and weighed about 700 kilograms. It made o deep hole. In the hole, it laid about 100 large round eggs. She stopped to rest periodically. Her eyes were wet probably due to irritation from the sand. Some boys disturbed her while she laid her eggs. Then she struggled back to the water and swam gracefully away.