“Turtles Are Healthy” Fisheries Dept Completes Investigation Into Dirty Tank & Water Claims In Port Dickson Resort
The turtles were allegedly seen living in squalid conditions at a resort in Port Dickson.


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Wildlife conservation efforts are commendable. Some successful ones in Malaysia include the turtle sanctuaries and hatcheries along our coasts which have helped preserve or maintain the number of sea turtles in the wild.
Unfortunately, Twitter user Encik Perasaan (@eeeooonnneee) shared two pictures of a turtle swimming in a dirty and smelly water tank. He claimed that the turtle was seen at a resort in Port Dickson.
Kalau minta tolong untuk penyu boleh tak, kesian giler dia alone, air dia kotor n busuk. Penyu ni dia glory beach resort pic.twitter.com/lI99kIi8kT
— Encik Perasaan 🇲🇾 (@eeeooonnneee) November 5, 2024
He also pointed out that the turtle had no “static” or fixed ledge to rest on and kept swimming in circles.
When his friend allegedly visited a few days later, they said the water was clean but remarked that the tank was small, especially when they found three turtles living in the same tank.
Ralat ni video nya pic.twitter.com/G6hD0I8nIJ
— Encik Perasaan 🇲🇾 (@eeeooonnneee) November 11, 2024
Worried netizens urged the case to be reported to the authorities such as the Fisheries Department and the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan).
When contacted by TRP, the Fisheries Department said it was investigating the matter.
“The turtles are healthy,” said the Fisheries Department
An investigation carried out by Negeri Sembilan’s Fisheries Conservation and Protection Branch (CKOPP) on 7 November found that the three turtles are in good health and are swimming actively in the tank.
State director Kasim Tawe said that the water in the tank was clean and did not smell as claimed. The department also clarified that the water is changed every weekend by pumping in seawater from the coast following the tides.
They believe the water looked murky due to the low-capacity pump (0.5hp) used to channel the water into the tank. They have suggested that the resort switch to a larger-capacity pump between 2 to 3 hp for the filtration system so the water doesn’t look murky.
The department also suggested the resort expand the turtle tank or pond for the animals’ comfort and lengthening the pipe a hundred metres more into the sea to get fresher water into the tank.

The turtles are in experienced hands
At the same time, the department shared a bit about the turtles and the careful care given to them by a licensed turtle egg collector named Hishamudin Abd Manap. He’s one of the three licensed turtle egg collectors in Negeri Sembilan and was hired by Glory Beach Resort in Port Dickson to care for the turtles.
The three turtles shown in the video are all 4 years and 6 months old and previously belonged to Pusat Ikan Hiasan Port Dickson. The turtles were given to the resort in conjunction with World Ocean Day 2023.
Glory Beach Resort is one of the many private premises with permission from the Negeri Sembilan Fisheries Department to help with turtle conservation, which includes running a turtle hatchery.
Hishamudin has 15 years of experience caring for turtles and actively runs conservation awareness programmes for the public. The department shared that Hishamudin had helped rescue and heal many sick turtles in Port Dickson.
To date, Hishamudin has collected as many as 1109 turtle eggs at Tanjung Gemuk Beach, Bagan Pinang Beach, Dwarf Hotel Beach, District Office Beach, and Tanah Port Dickson hatchery at Glory Beach Resort.
As many as 320 baby turtles were released to the sea while 223 eggs have yet to hatch and 15 baby turtles are exhibited to the public.
The Fisheries Department reiterated that the turtles are in good health but more improvements would be made. They promise to carry out regular checks on the turtles at the resort.
The Negeri Sembilan Fisheries Department will release the three turtles to the sea by next year so if you want to meet them in person, the time is now.
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