 Enu has long had a reputation as the richest turtle nesting ground in
all Maluku, and is supposed to be the most precious island of the
marine reserve for this reason. Once upon a time a Dutch lady
remembered as Miss Kiki used to live on the island and patrol it
nightly to ensure that both the nesting tuyrtles and their eggs
survived largely unharmed. Since she left, things have deteriorated
sharply. These days the nesting turtles are captured on the beach at
night, caught in nets stretched out in front of the beaches, and even
further out at sea. Much of the hunting is done by locals from Workai,
but to make things worse, boats come from as far afield as Bali.
Unsurprisingly, turtle numbers have declined sharply. Once Enu had
40-50 turtles coming ashore each night, during my stay there, only 3
turned up. Virtually every nesting turtle is now captured and
slaughtered, with their meat bought by Chinese businesses. Idealistic
ecotourists may now find visiting Enu a very disturbing experience!
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