A total of 133 Olive Ridley hatchlings were released to sea at Barangay Nagas in Oas, Albay, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Bicol said.
According to the DENR, locals first spotted two adult sea turtles that were about to lay eggs in October last year at the nesting site in barangay Nagas, a part of the Ticao-Burias Pass Protected Seascape. Regular monitoring activities have been conducted since then to prevent predators, flooding, and human poaching, the DENR said.
The DENR added that the sea turtle hatchlings survived the typhoons that barreled through the last quarter of 2021, allowing the eggs to fully incubate and hatch.
Sea turtles are considered endangered, according to the DENR’s Updated National List of Threatened Philippine Fauna and their Categories.
Poaching sea turtles and other wildlife species is prohibited under RA 9147, also known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
