Khaolak Information, Koh Kho Khao Accommodation, Bang Niang Beach Bungalows
Nang Thong Beach Resorts, Khao Lak Hotel Reservation, Phuket Airport Transfers
Deutsche Sprache
   
Useful Information about Khaolak, Police, Hospitals, Addresses and Telephone Numbers in Takuapa and Khaolak.
Overview and Detail Maps of Khaolak and the Beaches of Khao Lak.
Complete Listing of Hotels, Bungalows, Resorts and other Accomodation in Khaolak.
Transfers to and from Khaolak and Koh Kho Khao Island, Limousine Service, Airport pick up.
List of Excursions, Sightseeing and Activities available in Khao Luk.
The Weather in Khao Lac in high Season and during the Monsoon in South Thailand.
   
Mangrove Trees grow along tropical Coasts and are permanent Living Area for many Sea Creatures.
Tropical Rain Forests are found along the Southern Coasts of Thailand and by today are located in protected Areas and National Parks.
Thailand's National Parks cover more than 10% of the total Country, however, Protection is often inadequate.
Khao Soke National Park lies South of the Isthmus of Kra and is easily reached within one hour's Drive from Khao Lak.
Koh Surin Marine National Park has some of the most exciting Snorkel Sites in Thailand and can be reached from Khao Lac.
Koh Similan Marine National Park is one of the World's Top Ten Dive Locations and in easy reach from Tab Lamu Pier, just 20 Minutes Drive from Khaolak.
Phang-Nga Bay National Park is sheltered by Phuket Island with more than 80 Limestone Islands rising from the shallow Waters.
The Brazilian Para Rubber Tree is today grown all over South East Asia with Thailand producing nearly Half of the World's Rubber.
   
Photo Gallery of Khao Lak, Beaches, National Parks, Landscapes of Khaoluk.

Articles about Khao Lak:
Turtles of the Andaman Sea

Sea turtles might still be seen on Koh Kho Khao Island in Phangnga Thailand Sea turtles come to lay their eggs on the remote beaches of Kho Kor Khao Island in Phang-Nga province Thailand

Turtles can be found in all tropical and many temperate regions of the world. Most of them are land based; only a few species are amphibian animals. Out of those some live in the water for only part of their life while others are so much adapted to the wet element that they spend all their life in the water. While the first ones are mostly living in freshwater the latter ones are exclusively found in seawater.

Sea turtles are a common encounter for divers at the Koh Similan Islands in Phang Nga Thailand

Altogether 5 species with a few subspecies have survived through the million years from their first recorded appearance on earth in the mesozoic era. All prefer the tropical oceans, but in some cases they are drifted in the cooler regions outside their usual habitat, like the Leatherback Turtle that was caught alive in the Baltic Sea in 1965 weighing 450 kilogrammes.
But normally sea turtles restrict their migrations to the warm currents, during which they sometimes cover significant distances. The longest distances have been recorded from the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelis imbricata), who obviously travels from the coasts of Japan where they are born through the whole Pacific Ocean to the Californian coast. After eight years, when they get sexually mature, they travel the 11000 kilometres back to the Japanese coast to mate and lay eggs at the beaches where their life circles once began.

Young sea turtle heading for the water after hatching on Koh Phra Thong Island north of Khaolak, Thailand

This is one of the burdensome works in the life of a female turtle, as their massive body and their legs are not built for walking on the land and in the dry and hot air. When darkness falls and the air cools down she will come out of the water dragging the heavy body merely by using the front legs across the sand to a suitable place. Here she begins to dig a pear-shaped hole with her rear legs in which she drops the eggs. After she filled the hole with sand she returns to the water. This procedure often takes the whole night. Is a turtle being disturbed by noise, light or other animals (including man) she might return to the water without laying their eggs and will try a nearby place during the next nights. It is believed that only 1 in a 1000 baby turtle will reach maturity and come back to lay their eggs!

Sea turtle conservation is taking place at Golden Buddha Beach Resort on Koh Phra Thong in Phang Nga province, Thailand

One of the main sea turtle nesting sites on the Andaman coast of Thailand, are the islands off Takuapa. Since 1996 researchers and volunteers from Naucrates, an Italian NGO, in collaboration with the Phuket Marine Biological Center stay in a camp base at Golden Buddha Beach Resort on Koh Phra Thong During the nesting season from December to April. They patrol the 15 kilometres long beach nightly to protect the sea turtles from disturbances. Do they find a clutch, the eggs are carefully dug out and kept in the camp to be released later when the turtles hatch. The scientists even have to buy eggs from the locals, who collect if for eating.

Three nesting species were identified: Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas). The number of nests laid each season ranges from 7 to 13 showing a drastic decline of about 83%, using the trend reported from 1979 to 1990.

Back to Top of Page 

© 2002-2010 Khaolak Infonet. All Rights Reserved.
P.O Box 158, Phuket Town 83000, Thailand.
Tel ++ 66 8 9459 5219,  Fax: ++ 66 7652 1735


E-mail: mail@khaolak-infonet.de | Updated: 29 August, 2008

  Other Travel destinations:
Koh Lanta | Hua Hin | Pranburi | Koh Chang
 North Thailand | Nature Trips