As we are confined in our homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are deprived of what we were used to doing—cramped up public transportation, jammed traffic, eat-outs at Roxas Night Market, mingling with friends, and, most especially, vacations at the beach. I have missed the comfort the ocean gives me, which, I guess, everybody has also been longing for the longest time.
Oceans are home to various marine species. Hundreds of feet below the surface lies the home of sea turtles. As the ocean is what we believe a safe home to them, that has not appeared to be the case lately. Not all coasts of the country are as beautiful as what they seem in photos and narratives. Some, if not most of our seas, are rather gray and dotted with plastic rubbish. No other species could produce them but humans, and this is not a new issue.
Rubbish comes in different sizes and shapes, all out in the open, ready to be consumed by any marine species. Most narratives expose how sea turtles are found to have consumed plastic containing toxic substances, which may lead to their extinction—and we don’t want that.
Thankfully, the partnership between Davao Light, Aboitiz Foundation, DENR Region 11, and the local government of Davao City has led to its pawikan conservation project designating the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park as a Pawikan Rescue Center in Davao City. The park receives turtles turned over by DENR and the community and provides assessment, care, and treatment before the turtles are released back to the ocean. The site is also a nesting ground for pawikans and the center guards their eggs so that hatchlings can safely go to the sea.
Along with guarding the pawikan eggs until they hatch, Aboitiz Cleanergy Park also currently has six pawikans in its care while several have been released following their recovery from different kinds of illnesses or injuries. Just recently, the park received two rescued pawikans from Punta Dumalag, Davao City and from Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. Both turtles were named after the places they were found.
Turtle Dumalag, a female hawksbill sea turtle, was turned over by fishermen with two 3-meter long spears pierced through her neck. Veterinary experts came in to aid the turtle prescribing antibiotics, vitamins, and x-ray tests. She is still up for an additional x-ray test to properly assess the need to administer the removal of the spears.
Meanwhile, Turtle Sta. Cruz, a female green sea turtle, had been scheduled for release on June 9, 2020, the same day she was received at the park. However, when she was set down on the beach to allow her to crawl towards the water, she would not move, which prompted a re-examination by experts.
While there were no signs of injury, her eyes were notably sunken, a sign commonly associated with dehydration. Because of this, the turtle stays at the park for further tests and evaluation. From the time Turtle Sta. Cruz has been in the park’s care, she has already released more than 10 pieces of different sizes of plastic waste (plastic bags and plastic ropes) and is being observed if she continues to release more.
Efforts are ongoing to accommodate rescued sea turtles that need attention along with campaigns for support to save and protect them. I could just imagine the numerous hatchlings and sea turtles that would be released back to the sea in the future, each of them hoping that they experience life as it is, at peace with all the factors in it.
Want to help save our pawikan?
Learn the many ways you can contribute by getting in touch with Aboitiz Foundation now.
