Diamond Island (Myanmar)

Diamond Island, now Thamihla Kyun (Burmese: သမီးလှကျွန်း; lit. 'Beautiful Daughter Island'), is off the coast of Burma at 15°51′30″N 94°17′30″E / 15.85833°N 94.29167°E / 15.85833; 94.29167.[1] It is in the Ayeyarwady Region and off Cape Negrais, which is also known as Pagoda Point or Mawdin Zoon, and marks the entrance to the Bassein River.

The island is the site of an active navigational light on a skeletal tower.[2]

The island is a nesting place for green and loggerhead turtles.[3] It is now one of the major nesting areas for Green turtles in Myanmar, and since 1986 there has been a conservation station on the island. In recent years the loss of mangroves has reduced turtle nesting sites. Cyclone Nargis, 2–3 May 2008, also damaged turtle nests and nesting sites.[4] The Department of Fisheries protects the island and has established hatcheries to preserve the turtles' habitat.[5]

  1. ^ Imperial Gazetteer... (1908), p.161.
  2. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Myanmar (Burma)". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  3. ^ Imperial Gazetteer... (1908), p.314.
  4. ^ ""Cyclone Nargis' destructive impact on the turtle beaches of Myanmar's Thameehla Island" - accessed 3 July 2018". Archived from the original on 4 October 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  5. ^ Maung Maung Lwin. "Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting and conservation activity in Thameehla Island, Myanmar" (PDF). Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter.