In Dauin, Negros Oriental, 90 hatchlings of endangered sea turtles released to sea

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  – Just over four days after they were hatched, 90 baby sea turtles of the endangered Olive Ridley species (Lepidochelys olivacea) were released to the sea along the coast of Barangay Lipayo in Dauin, Negros Oriental.

The hatchlings were first collected Saturday morning by the Bantay Dagat personnel from their nest fronting a resort in Poblacion 3 of Dauin, said Mario Aragon, head of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office II (CENRO II).

The nest was being monitored Friday and by Saturday morning, the baby turtles sprang out of the eggs and started to spread across the sand. While it is illegal under Philippine law to collect the hatchlings, Aragon explained that the intention of the Bantay Dagat to rescue the hatchlings was to protect them from potential predators, like animals and humans.

Reports said dogs, as well as curious children, had started gathering around the hatchlings, said Aragon, adding that the mother turtle was not seen by anyone in the area over the past weeks although she could just be in the waters off the coast of Dauin. 

Aragon said the discovery of the sea turtle hatchlings was immediately reported to authorities, including him and Dauin Mayor Neil Credo, and that they had agreed to keep them for a few days until they were ready to be returned to their natural life cycle at sea.

A total of 92 hatchlings and four eggs that later turned out infertile were brought to the guardhouse of the Lipayo Fishermen’s Association (LIFA) for temporary custody. They were placed in a tank to gain enough energy prior to their release to the sea, but two of them died during the period, said Aragon.

Steve de Neef, an international freelance photographer and videographer based in Dumaguete who documented the release of the turtles, lauded the authorities for the immediate action. He said that AA Yaptinchay of the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines strongly believed that these baby turtles were of the Olive Ridley species, which is listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Yaptinchay had told de Neef that there were not so many Olive Ridley nesting sites in the Philippines and the weekend’s discovery of the hatchlings was a “rare” occurrence. An Olive Ridley mother lays eggs at least five times with an interval of ten days to two weeks between nesting. The eggs hatch at least 56 days or beyond after being laid, he said.

De Neef, who also works for the Large Marine Vertebrates (LAMAVE) project in the Philippines, believed that turtle hatchlings should be allowed to immediately head off to sea after coming out of the eggs. While there is a slim chance that all of those released on Tuesday would survive in the wild, it is better off for them to be at sea rather than be raised in captivity, he added.

The survival rate of the juveniles would only be at one percent but nevertheless the others that die out at sea contribute to the life cycle, such as turning into food for fish and birds, said de Neef.

Dauin town Mayor Neil Credo, for his part, said he ordered the Bantay Dagat and the fishermen’s associations to be constantly alert on the possible existence of sea turtle eggs along the shores of the town. (FREEMAN)