Baby sea turtles released in Palawan capital, Mindoro

OFF TO THE SEA A baby olive ridley sea turtle crawls to the sea off Puerto Princesa City, one of the 54 hatchlings freed on Sunday. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—Nearly a hundred baby sea turtles were released into the sea in this city and in Roxas town, Oriental Mindoro province, over the weekend.

Fifty-four olive ridley hatchlings scurried to meet the waves off the coastal village of Simpocan in Puerto Princesa on Saturday, while fishery officials freed 38 hawksbill hatchlings in San Isidro village, Roxas, on Sunday.

Although it has a high population, the olive ridley species has been classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Trained to careThe hawksbill species, on the other hand, is on the “critically endangered” list of the IUCN, with its population facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Palawan Medical Society (PMS) said the release of the olive ridley turtles was the second for the group. Its president, Paul Saludez, said the activity was PMS’ way of increasing public awareness and participation in environmental protection.

The hawksbill hatchlings in Roxas belonged to the third batch released by the local coastal resource management and fishery office. On Feb. 4, 55 olive ridley turtles were released on Feb. 4 and 79 more from the same species on Feb. 9, said Julius Ortega, office head.

Trained to careSea turtles lay their eggs on the coastal areas of Roxas between October and January, Ortega said.

He said office personnel had been trained by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to rescue and care for the turtle eggs until they hatched and were ready to go back to the sea. —ROMAR MIRANDA AND MADONNA VIROLA INQ