MELAKA, Jan 14 (Sin Chew Daily) — The Alor Gajah Municipal Council has sealed off the Pengkalan Balak beach after the turtle replicas placed there for only two weeks since the end of last year have been damaged by irresponsible visitors.

The replicas of ten turtles, six hatchlings and 20 turtle eggs have attracted many locals and tourists to take pictures at the beach since they were installed there on December 28.

A cleaner at the beach told Sin Chew Daily many adults and children loved to sit on the replicas to have their picnics. Some even stepped on the replicas. The fiberglass replicas are now in very bad shape due to the damages done.

Alor Gajah Municipal Council president Mohd Fadhil Hassan said he instructed his staff to seal off the area to prevent visitors from destroying the replicas further while the council repairs them.

"We have no alternatives but to stop people from damaging the replicas. We have no plan to set up fences at this moment," he said.

With the implementation of movement control order, no visitors are seen at the beach.

The council spent RM20,000 to install the turtle statues, modeled after the Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Center in Pengkalan Balak.

Based on fisheries department records, turtles made 182 trips to lay eggs at the beach from January to May last year. In 2019, the turtle made 106 trips. 

The Padang Kemunting beach recorded the highest number of turtles laying eggs in Pengkalan Balak.