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Background
The Marine Turtle Sanctuary is a 2-kilometer stretch of white sand peninsula of Punta Dumalag in Matina Aplaya, Davao City where endangered Hawksbill turtles (Pawikan) have safely found their home and sanctuary. Also known as the Pawikan Sanctuary, the site is part of the 37-hectare Marine Protected Area (MPA) that was established through Council Resolution No. 02504-03 declaring the area as a nesting ground for Hawksbill Turtles. The local government of Davao City created the Marine Turtle Protection and Conservation Task Force through Executive Order 29-2003, purposely for marine turtle conservation and protection. The sanctuary engages in the recovery, tagging, and rescue of illegally captured and detained marine turtles. The sanctuary also manages a hatchery which yields 93% hatching since it started in 2003. The sanctuary is declared a "No-Swimming Zone".
While Punta Dumalag peninsula is primarily a marine turtle sanctuary, it is also a declared protected area for mangroves which are abundant in the area.
Punta Dumalag used to be an isolated island until a freak storm in 1962 that washed-in sand to its shore and created a natural land bridge that eventually connected it to Matina Aplaya. Developers came in the late 1970's and further dumped more sand and gravel and cemented the land bridge.
According to old-time residents of Punta Dumalag, the entire peninsula has long been a nesting ground of Hawksbill turtles. The turtles became critically endangered because of massive hunts for its "shell" which were used for guitar picks, combs, bracelets, etc, and sold commercially. Those turtles that remain in the peninsula now are believed to be only a part of the remnants of its population.
Marine turtles are known to return to the very place where they were hatched when they reach reproductive maturity of 20 to 50 years. These marine creatures are highly migratory and are capable of remembering the place where they were hatched despite the
The Marine Turtle Sanctuary is a 2-kilometer stretch of white sand peninsula of Punta Dumalag in Matina Aplaya, Davao City where endangered Hawksbill turtles (Pawikan) have safely found their home and sanctuary. Also known as the Pawikan Sanctuary, the site is part of the 37-hectare Marine Protected Area (MPA) that was established through Council Resolution No. 02504-03 declaring the area as a nesting ground for Hawksbill Turtles. The local government of Davao City created the Marine Turtle Protection and Conservation Task Force through Executive Order 29-2003, purposely for marine turtle conservation and protection. The sanctuary engages in the recovery, tagging, and rescue of illegally captured and detained marine turtles. The sanctuary also manages a hatchery which yields 93% hatching since it started in 2003. The sanctuary is declared a "No-Swimming Zone".
While Punta Dumalag peninsula is primarily a marine turtle sanctuary, it is also a declared protected area for mangroves which are abundant in the area.
Punta Dumalag used to be an isolated island until a freak storm in 1962 that washed-in sand to its shore and created a natural land bridge that eventually connected it to Matina Aplaya. Developers came in the late 1970's and further dumped more sand and gravel and cemented the land bridge.
According to old-time residents of Punta Dumalag, the entire peninsula has long been a nesting ground of Hawksbill turtles. The turtles became critically endangered because of massive hunts for its "shell" which were used for guitar picks, combs, bracelets, etc, and sold commercially. Those turtles that remain in the peninsula now are believed to be only a part of the remnants of its population.
Marine turtles are known to return to the very place where they were hatched when they reach reproductive maturity of 20 to 50 years. These marine creatures are highly migratory and are capable of remembering the place where they were hatched despite the