Sea turtle caught in Samar

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines  – Photos of a still unidentified man sitting on a leatherback sea turtle, locally known as pawikan, recently went viral on social media.

The pawikan, which measures six feet long and three feet wide, was tied to a bamboo post and has since been released back to the sea – but not without first inciting outrage from netizens.

Six photos were uploaded by Jose Lastimado on his Facebook account last Aug. 6 at past 9 a.m. Lastimado was reportedly the former village chief of Pinamitinan and Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president of Marabut town in Samar.

The photos were captioned “Big catch pawikan in Brgy Sta Rita Marabut Samar (sic).”

In his spot report, lawyer Danilo Suarez of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) community environment and natural resources office in Samar said the pawikan was caught in the fish net of a certain Jessy Amora, about one kilometer away from the shoreline of the village, on Aug. 5 around 1:30 a.m.

Corazon Horca Makabenta, officer-in-charge of the DENR’s conservation and development division here, said the pawikan was released “after the DENR took photodocs and measurements at 11 a.m. in the morning that same day.”

Makabenta, through her Facebook account, also thanked the public for their “expression of concern and support.”

She said the person who “maltreated” the pawikan would be charged with violation of Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

Some reports said the man atop the pawikan was Lastimado although this information has yet to be verified.

As of press time, Lastimado has deactivated his Facebook account.

The leatherback sea turtle (Dermocheleys coriacea) is considered an endangered species here and elsewhere in the world.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) describes it as the “largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest modern reptile behind three crocodilians.”

Adult leatherback sea turtles can reportedly grow to as long as nine feet and weigh an average of 300 to 500 kilos.

Data show that the largest leatherback sea turtle ever recorded had a length of about 10 feet and weighed 916 kilos.