A New Beginning for the Endangered Sea Turtles at the Mangal Marine Protected Area

That's the Adan brothers (Romy and Freddy) flanking the spot less than 10 meters from the waterline at high tide along Casabangan Bay (within the Mangal Marine Protected Area or MMPA in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro) where a sea turtle recently layed her eggs. The second picture is a close-up of the spot--a mundane memento of an otherwise significant event of nature, particularly in Casabangan. This was noted by the MMPA Bantay Dagat Team in the morning of September 6, 2017, which happens to be the birthday of Mom.

It is well-known among the elderly residents of Barangay Don Pedro (Mansalay) that sea turtles were abundant in Casabangan Bay. Most likely, egg-laying of sea turtles in the area was a regular occurrence up to around the 1960s or the time there was a marked influx of human population in the area.

Until a law was passed in 2001 (RA 9147 -- Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act) protecting sea turtles in the Philippines (and until some semblance of enforcement occurred at the local government level more than a decade after the passage of the law), the locals would indiscriminately pick their eggs, catch them for food and leave their shells scattered all over the beach of Casabangan. It's a miracle that a few of these sea turtles had survived the wanton destruction of their kind in Casabangan Bay and appear to be making a comeback just months after commencing the enforcement of the MMPA Ordinance (mid-April 2017).

The point is, there has not been much sea turtle hatchlings or, for that matter, sea turtle egg-laying in Casabangan Bay over the past half-century and certainly none documented like this recent occurrence on September 6, 2017. Maybe it's because there is less disturbance from people in Casabangan Bay as a result of the recent enforcement of the MMPA . . . or maybe we're just lucky that our sea turtles are giving us another chance to enjoy their wonderful presence. Either way, the MMPA is giving the sea turtles (and, in general, a tiny portion of the local marine eco-system) some space to breathe and recover. If  this is an indication or a clue of a possible turning-point, then this is the community's chance to make it right.

It should take about 60 days before the sea turtle eggs hatch. If all goes well, we should witness our first "turtle boil" in Casabangan Bay (since over a half century ago) around the first or second week of November 2017.

Postscript

Subsequent discussions with the Bantay Dagat Team indicate that there may have already been some initial sea turtle hatchlings in Casabangan Bay in the latter part of the 3rd quarter, 2017. They described the sighting as "many small sea turtles floating at the surface of the water that appeared to be dead but quickly submerged when we approached them."

On the week of October 9, 2017, a new member of the Bantay Dagat Team, John Paul, noticed another egg-laying site in the Lalawigan area, which should result in hatchlings between the first and second week of December 2017.

The following video shows what we can expect to see when the eggs hatch. I hope the Municipal Agriculture Team can film Mansalay's own "Turtle Boil".