Resort guests rescue sea turtle in Pangasinan

Resort guests carry a sea turtle they rescued on Friday night (Dec. 28) back to sea on Saturday (Dec. 29). (Contributed photo)

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines — Visitors to a resort at the Pangasinan town of Dasol got a rare treat when a sea turtle visited them on Friday night (Dec. 28).

The sea turtle, measuring about 60 centimeters (cm) wide and 45 cm long, was discovered clambering along the Tambobong Beach at about 9 p.m., according to former provincial administrator Rafael Baraan, owner of the Marianne Family Beach Resort.

The rescuers do not know that type of turtle they had rescued. But olive ridley turtles have been known to nest at the shorelines of the neighboring Burgos town.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), seven different species of marine turtles presently live in the ocean, including the green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback and the olive ridley, which it describes as “the most abundant of all sea turtles.”

“Their vulnerable status comes from the fact that they nest in a very small number of places, and therefore any disturbance to even one nest beach could have huge repercussions on the entire population,” WWF said.

Baraan said the turtle, which appears healthy, was carried by the visitors to the resort compound, where it stayed overnight to protect it from poachers. It was released back to sea at about 7 a.m. on Saturday (Dec. 29).

“Our guests, who are from La Trinidad (the capital town of Benguet province), enjoyed watching the turtle as it moved to the sea,” said Baraan. /muf