Turtles Found Their New Home in Boracay

Boracay Island- Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan proved once again that its beauty runs deeper than its famous white sands. In a span of just one week, the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Boracay alongside the local community successfully rescued and safely released two critically endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata).

            The first rescue took place on August 11 at Boracay Island Station 2, when beach cleaner Mr. Archie Torres spotted a juvenile sea turtle entangled in discarded fishing nets along the shoreline. Recognizing the urgency, local responders stepped in immediately and called for the presence of technical staff from CENRO. Upon evaluation, the turtle measured 30.48 cm in curved carapace length (ccl) and 27.43 cm in curved carapace width (ccw). Because of its high activity levels and no external injuries, it was released into the calmer waters of Tulubhan beach.

Just a week later, on August 18 at Station 1, lifeguard Jay Louis Delo Santos intercepted a tiny hawksbill hatchling being pushed ashore by rough surface swells. The hatchling—measuring a mere 6 cm in length, 5.5 cm in width, and weighing 170 grams—was handed over to CENRO for a full health check before being released at Bulabog Beach, where gentler water conditions was observed giving the hatchling a smooth return to the open ocean.

            Classified as Critically Endangered, Hawksbill Sea Turtles face severe threats from habitat loss, coastal development, plastic pollution, and illegal wildlife trade targeting their distinctive “tortoiseshell” patterned carapaces.

“Conservation cannot succeed through policy or government agencies alone—it depends on the cooperation of people in the community. These dual rescues show that when watchful community members and quick response teams work together, critically endangered species like Hawksbill get the chance they need to thrive,” Atty. Ramar Niel V. Pascua the OIC-Regional Executive Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) VI said.

The successful release of these Hawksbills serves as an encouraging reminder that ocean conservation is a collective responsibility. Whether you are a local resident, a beachworker, or a visiting tourist, keeping shores clean, reporting entangled wildlife, and respecting marine habitats ensures that Boracay and other areas remains a safe sanctuary for endangered species. /DENR6MML