An annual ceremony to celebrate the Queen of Thailand's birthday was marked by the release of 779 green turtles.
The turtles were released from the Royal Thai Navy's Sea Turtle Conservation Centre in the Sattahip naval base as a token of gratitude to Queen Sirikit who turns 78-years-old on Thursday (August 12).
Most of the turtles are three to six months old, while seven are adults aged between six- and 16-years-old. The adult turtles have been fitted with microchips for conservation research.
Some 300 officials, conservationists and students take part in the event each year to watch the young turtles born and raised in the conservation centre swim off to sea.
About 10,000 young turtles are released from this centre to the Gulf of Thailand every year.
Statistics from the conservation centre said the survival rates of the small turtles released into the Gulf of Thailand has increased over the past decade.
Set up 12 years ago, the centre provides habitats and protection for more than 25,000 green and hawk-bill sea turtle eggs each year. It is considered the biggest turtles' nesting site in the Gulf of Thailand.
Beside providing a sanctuary for hatching, the Thai Navy's centre also contains a nursery for newly-hatched baby turtles where they are cared and looked after until the age of six months, when they're released back to sea.
"There is less consumption of turtle meat and turtles' shells for decorations, after we became serious on conservation law enforcement against the poaching of sea turtles. Now the turtles are having more chance to survive," said Navy Commander Kwanmoung Karestre, who runs the centre.
Experts at the centre said the survival rate for turtles born in the wild is low because the eggs are vulnerable both on and off-shore to predators, including humans.
"We are educating our young generation on awareness of our turtle conservation and thus, these young turtle ambassadors will extend their knowledge to others, becoming a conservation network to protect the turtles," Commander Kwanmoung added.
Sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources' Red List.
Reuters