Turtles are deeply important to the Balinese and relevant to their culture. The most important structure in a Balinese temple is the padmasana (Lotus Throne) which is located at the back / right side of the jeroan (inner courtyard). The padmasana is a tall pyramidal shape about 4 meters tall with an empty throne on top, reserved for the Supreme Deity during certain festivals and ceremonies. At the bottom of the padmasana is a bedawang (giant cosmic turtle) upon rests the entire universe.
Bali is home to a turtle population and the culture developed with turtle meat, used for sate, as an important part. Generally turtle meat is too expensive to be eastern everyday, but outside temples during certain ceremonies you will find it. A hundred years ago the Balinese consumption of turtle meat was not a problem, but modern commercial fishing means there are less turtles around and they are easier to catch.
Years ago turtles Bugis traders from Sulawesi brought turtles as gifts to the Balinese rajas. When a Balinese fisherman would find a turtle trapped in his net, the family would celebrate. Turtle meat is still used today, given out in sate sticks to celebrate a wedding other other local ceremony in a practice called ngejod. The shells are used to make ornaments and jewelry.
Balinese fishing boats go all the way to the Banda Islands in Eastern Indonesia in search of turtles. Popular on other islands, the turtle is under threat because they cannot reproduce as fast as modern fishing can catch them. In those eastern parts of Indonesia, locals too enjoy turtle meat, which in itself is not a problem as the population is small and there is no real commercial fishing on a large scale. One Bali resident reported going on a small boat in the Banda’s, alongside locals in dugout canoes, to take a look at giant turtles a few hundred meters off shore. To his surprise the locals speared the massive creature, turning the ocean red with its blood. This giant turtle weighed hundreds of pounds, its liver weighing about 100 pounds alone, each member of the party go a share, including the unsuspecting tourist! He asked the locals if he could bring a boat load of tourists back sometime to view a giant turtle, but instead of spearing it, allow them to swim around with it. The locals were open to doing this for a payment, which isn’t a bad way to go. The same strategy has been used to protect bird and animal species.
The two main varieties of turtle found in Bali are the Green Sea turtle, most popular for eating and the Hawksbill turtle, most popular for its shell. In the south of Bali ritual involves the mountains, rivers and ocean. Turtles are part of the Balinese ritual and economic life, used for sacrifices and consumption. A turtle sate stall can be found in Kuta, outside the soccer field on Jl. Patih Jelantik. The 2 Balinese ladies who sell it are there 7 days a week, so there must be a decent supply.
The turtle population got noticeably lower in the 1970′s with the influx of foreign tourists. The shells were sold to visitors and Kuta hotels started serving turtle soup. The natural breeding grounds for the turtle in places such as Sanur started to used for tourist activities, the habitat slowly getting more polluted. In order for a female turtle to lay her eggs, a beach has to be quiet, so bright lights, blaring music and boats will discourage then from using certain areas. Due to fact that turtle are designed for marine life, they are most vulnerable when they leave the ocean to lay their eggs. The mother has to be sure the location chosen is ideal. Some estimates say that 2-10% of turtle eggs survive to mature animals, thus man has taken another chunk out of that number.
