Potensi Penyu Hijau (Chelonia mydas L.) sebagai Daya Tarik Ekowisata di Kawasan Pantai Sindangkerta Kabupaten Tasikmalaya

Abstract

Sindangkerta beach is one of the spreading locations of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Indonesia. The existence of the green turtles can potentially become one of the ocean ecotourism objects. The purpose of the research is investigating the potential of green turtles (environment, habit, spreading of nest, and laying eggs period), knowing the interest of visitors to the green turtle and arranging the planning of development of ocean tourism program based on green turtles to the organizer of wildlife reserve and the organizer around it. The data collection includes of green turtles potential data, data of visitors, community around Sindangkerta Beach, and the supporting data (accessibility, accommodation, and supporting instruments). The collected data will be tabulated and analyzed descriptively to get the information about the development and potential of green turtles and the activities of the tourism that have been done. For the development of tourism plan will be done by SWOT analysis. The green turtles which get off on the beach every year will be different in amount and will fluctuate. It can be influence by the weather (speed of wind). The potential of green turtles which can become the activity of ocean tourism based on the interest of the visitors is seeing the habit of green turtles in finding food and laying eggs, the activity of maintenance, and releasing the small green turtles. Most of the visitors are students (including students of colleges). Development of the ocean tourism is also supported by the local community. Visitors and local community hope that the development of ocean tourism can preserve the green turtles and increase the economic level for the local community by involving them in managing the program. Ocean tourism based on green turtles program can be done such as introducing and informing the visitors about characteristic of environment and the habit of green turtles at Sindangkerta Beach. Increasing the corporation with all stakeholders is needed in order to preserve the green turtles and to make a continuity of ocean tourism object.