What a beautiful, magnificent animal!
The locals of Duran village in the town of Balatan, Camarines Sur got to see a giant leatherback turtle when fishermen accidentally caught one in their nets earlier today.
The female reptile weighed 370 kilos and measured 4 feet, reported ABS-CBN News. According to environmentalist Norielet Reciproco, the animal had wounds on her neck and fins, which was treated before she was brought back to the sea. It’s unclear what caused her wounds.
But there’s nothing to worry about — she’s fine.
Said Reciproco: “Whenever she breathes, she would raise her head. So that’s an indication that she’s still healthy.”
Reciproco also highlighted the importance of returning the animal to the sea. “They should be released so that they could reproduce because it’s in their nature.”
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the leatherback turtle is facing extinction and its numbers are “declining precipitously.”
The Philippine Daily Inquirer said that the turtle today was the second leatherback this year to appear in Balatan. The other one, however, died because it swallowed plastics.
Nonie Enolva, the regional spokesperson of the Bureau of Fishery and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), said that Balatan is a hotspot for marine animals because the surrounding Ragay Gulf is a good food source for the creatures.
He told Rappler: “Balatan can be considered as a hotspot area for marine turtles due to frequent stranding. Ragay Gulf is considered as rich in plankton, the primary food source for the rest of other marine species in the food chain.”
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