MALAY, Aklan – A total of 66 Olive Ridley sea turtle hatchlings on Boracay Island here were released into the ocean on Friday.
Considered among vulnerable species due to its decreasing population, an Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) was discovered to lay eggs on the beachfront of a resort in the world-famous Boracay Island on Nov. 5, 2019.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources quickly came into the area and built a fence around the eggs to protect them.
The hatchlings emerged from their nest on Thursday after 65 days of the incubation period.
The occurrence proves to be quite strange since sea turtles are known to lay eggs in hidden areas where no human can disturb them.
Authorities said the sea turtle’s laying of eggs on Boracay’s shore is a sign that the animal did not consider the area as a threat to its offspring.
Marine biologist Haron Deo Vargas saw this as an indicator that despite human presence, the sea turtle trusts the beach enough that her eggs won’t disappear.
Because the Olive Ridley sea turtle population is already vulnerable, the law prohibits people from capturing, killing or domesticating these turtles.(With a report from GMA News/PN)
