84 Baby Sea Turtles in Nusa Penida Missing, Turned Out to Have Ended Up in a Septic Tank

Kapolsek Nusa Penida Kompol I Ketut Kesuma Jaya explained that the sea turtle babies were found on Sunday (17 May 2026). Initially, conservation authorities suspected the loss of the hatchlings was due to theft. “However, after we investigated, this was caused by a water tap left running and causing the pool water to overflow and drag the hatchlings into the drainage,” Kesuma said when contacted for confirmation, quoted by detikBali, Tuesday (19 May 2026). Kesuma explained that on Saturday (16 May 2026), officers still confirmed that as many as 102 baby hatchlings were in the holding pool. But the next day on Sunday (17 May 2026) around 07:00 WITA, the number of hatchlings had drastically decreased. Because theft was suspected, the conservation management reported the incident to the Nusa Penida Police Sector. The police, conducting the investigation, eventually found dozens of hatchlings entering the septic tank due to the pool overflow. Kesuma emphasised that the incident would be a joint evaluation so that facility management could be more thorough and responsible. He also urged the public not to speculate before the facts are revealed. Read the full story here (idh/dhn).