LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY (PIA) - - Some 133 baby sea turtles were safely guided from their nests back to their natural habitat at barangay Nagas, Oas, Albay.

Through the joint effort of the community and environment protection advocates, the nesting sites were made secured and protected from damages and threats.

Forest Technician II Faye Jesusa T. Onrubia of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) - Guinobatan said that two adult marine turtles were spotted by the locals about to lay eggs in the nesting site at Barangay Nagas on October 27 and 30, 2021.

Since then, regular monitoring activities were conducted in the area to prevent the nests from any possible damages or threats by predators, possible flooding, and egg hunters.

The sea turtle hatchlings, found to be Olive Ridley sea turtles, with the scientific name Lepidochelys olivacea, emerged from the nests in which 30 have hatched on the evenings of December 27, 2021; 57 on December 31, 2021  and 46 on January 1, 2022.

The sea turtle hatchlings were spared from typhoons during the last quarter of 2021, allowing the eggs to fully undergo incubation period and hatch.

The local officials believed that the continuous conduct of communication, education and public awareness activities in the area have capacitated the local residents to be partners for environmental protection, conservation and management.

The catching and hunting of marine turtles, and all wildlife species are prohibited under Republic Act No. 9147, otherwise known as the "Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act"

Olive Ridleys gets its name from the olive green color of its heart-shaped shell, which starts out gray but becomes olive green once it metamorphose into adulthood. The species is among the smallest of the sea turtles and is found primarily in the tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. (SAA/DENR5/PIA5/Albay).