Sea turtle stranded in Oriental Mindoro

Local officials show off a green sea turtle stranded on July 7 in Sition Alupiran, Barangay San Pedro, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. PHOTO COURTESY OF MANSALAY PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE

CITY OF CALAPAN – A green sea turtle was stranded in Mansalay town, Oriental Mindoro province on Tuesday morning.

This is the third turtle stranded in Barangay San Pedro in two weeks, said Cocoy Generoso, information officer of Mansalay.

On July 7, a 60-kilo green sea turtle was stranded at Sitio Alupiran. A 65-kilo sea turtle was also found in the same area on June 26.

“We’ve (also) documented five strandings and received about 20 reports of sightings of turtles,” Generoso said.

He said they attribute it to the local government’s declaration about two years ago of Sitio Casabangan in the same village as a Marine Protected Area.

A Marine Sanctuary was also declared in Sitio Palaypay in Barangay Poblacion, about three kilometers away.