PADRE BURGOS, Southern Leyte (PIA) -- A total of 91 healthy baby turtles got the swim of their lives for good after being released to the sea Friday, June 25, by officials and the people of Brgy. Sta. Sofia, this town.

Punong Barangay Crispina Barcelon led the activity, with Ceasar Tinambacan, municipal agriculture officer, and Lydia Montebon, ecosystem management specialist of DENR-Maasin, joining in.

The big haul of squirming, cute creatures came about when a girl named Julia Sabanda was strolling in the shoreline Wednesday about 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

She noticed something moving in the sand, struggling with their limping feet to reach the seawaters, which was just a few meters from their underground nest in the shore.

The discovery was quickly relayed to the barangay leaders, then two locals, Raymundo Araneta and Ryan Sumelag, secured the rare find in two big containers with seawaters and, consequently, the town’s MAO and the DENR were also informed in order to set the date for release.

It was the fourth time that scores of baby turtles were safely returned to their natural habitat, over a hundred little ones back then, the first happened before the pandemic set in, it was learned.

In a follow up text, Montebon said the released sea animals belonged to the hawksbill sea turtle specie.  (LDL/MMP/PIA-8/Southern Leyte)