Guests at Anantara Layan and Mai Khao and its sister property Avani+ in Phuket recently participated in the annual baby turtle and shark release programme in support of the conservation efforts of the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and the Phuket Marine Biology Centre. Fifty-four green turtles ranging from 12 to 15 months old and 34 young bamboo sharks were released along the beaches where both Anantara Layan Resort and Anantara Mai Khao Villas are located.
During the breeding season from November to February, marine turtles return to the beach they were born to lay their eggs. Their numbers have been severely depleted over the last 20 years and the local Mai Khao and Layan villagers are working hard to protect them. They take the eggs to the Phuket Marine Biology Centre hatchery where the baby turtles are protected from elements of nature and human exploitation and kept for a year to improve their chances of survival.
