“We want to return the hatchlings to the sea”: Staff Members Stay up All Night to Watch Over the Emergence

"When the baby turtles break out of their eggs in the nest, it is called ‘hatching’, and when they make their way out of the sand, it is called ‘emergence’. The hatching period is about 50 days. By measuring the temperature of the sand every day, we can predict the approximate hatching date. Currently, we are conducting research to further improve the accuracy of this prediction,” says Yoshimura.

It is known that after hatching, the baby turtles take two days to emerge from the nest. Thus, if the staff members can accurately predict the time of hatching, it may be possible to also predict the date and time of the babies’ emergence.

“For now, when the day of hatching is near, staff members stay up all night to observe the hatchlings. This is because we want to return the hatchlings to the sea as soon as possible,” says Yoshimura. “If the ‘emergence time’ can be accurately predicted, the burden on these staff members will be reduced, and announcements can be made to visitors to the museum, who could then be able to witness the precious moment.”