Photo by: DENR Central Luzon
BALER, Aurora — A total of 127 green sea turtle hatchlings were released into Baler Bay as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government stepped up efforts to protect marine turtles and their nesting habitats.
The hatchlings, identified as green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), were released near the Aurora Watershed Forest Reserve, a protected area, following the monitoring of a marine turtle nest by the DENR Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Dingalan and the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office of Baler.
DENR Community Environment Officer Jimmy Aberin said the release was part of the agency’s continuing efforts to safeguard marine turtles and their nesting and feeding grounds.
Photo by: DENR Central Luzon
Personnel from the CENRO Dingalan Conservation and Development Section and the Protected Area Management Office, together with the Baler municipal environment office, monitored the nest and facilitated the safe release of the hatchlings toward the adjacent Pacific Ocean, Aberin said.
DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo said the successful release underscored the importance of sustained cooperation among government agencies, local communities, conservation organizations and other stakeholders in protecting marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
The initiative, he said, demonstrates how collective action and shared responsibility can contribute to the conservation and restoration of marine resources for future generations.
Meanwhile, DENR and local environment personnel are continuing to monitor two other marine turtle nesting sites in Baler.
Hatchling emergence at the two sites is expected between Sept. 9 and Oct. 22, 2026, as conservation personnel maintain monitoring activities to ensure the protection of nesting turtles and newly emerged hatchlings. (Press Release)