Rantau Abang is a small village located in Terengganu, Malaysia. While itself a very small village, Rantau Abang is most noted for its Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting. Every year during the summer months (usually May through August), the turtles come ashore and lay their eggs.
While a noted tourist spot, the number of sea turtles that lay their eggs has severely decreased in recent years. It has been estimated that during the 1950s, over 10,000 of these turtles called the beaches on Rantau Abang their home. Recently the local government have declared these turtles extinct as no turtle landings have been sighted for quite some time. The biggest reason for the decline has been poachers who take the turtle eggs and sell them in local villages as turtle eggs are a local delicacy. The Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre has been set up in Rantau Abang to spearhead conservation efforts
