There’s something about the sunset in La Union. No matter how many times I’ve been here, walking barefoot on the sand, watching the fiery orange glow sink into the horizon, and listening to the sound of waves always feels like coming home after a long day.
I’ve watched the sunset on various visits to the surf town over the years, but it felt even more meaningful as I saw a clutch of baby pawikan, or sea turtles, scurry across the sand to the ocean for the first time.
It was the peak of sea turtle nesting season during my visit when I had the rare chance to witness the first journey of these pawikan into the sea.
Sea turtle nesting season
La Union is known mostly for its surf scene. But did you know that around 3,000 to 7,000 sea turtle eggs are laid on its beaches yearly?
Sea turtle nesting season typically runs from October to February. It can take roughly 45 to 65 days for eggs to hatch, so releases are expected to last until March or April of the following year.
The eager hatchlings we watched are Olive Ridley Sea Turtles, named for the olive color of their heart-shaped shells. Their species is among the smallest of sea turtles, with each hatchling just about 2 to 3 inches long. Yet, these tiny critters can grow up from 2 to 2.5 feet and weigh over 100 pounds as adults. Olive Ridleys can live up to 50 to 60 years.
In contrast, the largest sea turtle ever recorded, a Leatherback, was 8.4 feet long and weighed over a ton (2,000 pounds), or roughly about the same weight as a Volkswagen Beetle.
Challenges, conservation, and CURMA
We learned that sea turtles in La Union face less than a 1 percent chance of survival. In the past, turtle poaching was rampant, with turtle nests being raided for eggs and turtles harvested for their meat and shells. Obstacles on the beach, including plastic garbage, high foot traffic from tourists, bright lights from nearby construction or buildings, and loud noises are major hazards faced by turtles in their traditional nesting grounds.
It was in 2009 when the volunteer-run group Coastal Underwater Resource Management Action, or CURMA, was born to protect the endangered keystone species from poachers and other predators. The acronym is an homage to the Sanskrit Hindu god Kurma, meaning “tortoise” and “turtle.”
Through their marine turtle conservation program, CURMA prevents eggs from being poached and gives turtles a better chance for the first part of their long journey. Former poachers have been tapped as sea turtle protectors, who help locate and transfer turtle nests safely to CURMA’s hatchery in San Juan. Upon hatching, the baby pawikan are released back to the sea.
Sea turtles are born with the instinctive knowledge that they need to make it to the ocean. Their hometown and nesting ground, however, are also ingrained in their system. Carlos Tamayo, CURMA’s Operations Director, told us that sea turtles can read magnetic fields and have a “built-in GPS” that ensures their return.
“This is the most important walk in their life. Since they walk the beach today, they’re going to remember the coordinates of their home beach. Some 10 to 15 years from now, hopefully all of them survive, they’ll come back to this very same beach to lay their eggs,” he shared, as we watched the baby turtles rush to the ocean and get swept away by the water.
As the world stood still during the first year of the pandemic, CURMA noted a surge in turtle nesting and hatchlings in La Union. These lovely creatures found a peaceful place once again on the beach to lay eggs, devoid of the usual hordes of tourists.
While tourists have come back to La Union, groups like CURMA continue to educate and engage volunteers to avoid plastic garbage, clean up coastlines, and help save turtle nests from poachers.
Sea turtles play a vital role in maintaining the ocean’s ecosystems and are the best defense against jellyfish, which thrive in warming seas. Sea turtles keep jellyfish numbers in check, with the latter forming an essential part of their diet. This is vital in areas like La Union, where the economy relies heavily on both fishing and tourism.
If you happen to visit the province during turtle nesting season, watch your step and keep an eye out for pawikan releases. Witnessing that magical moment of these hatchlings’ first steps into the sea might just spark your will to travel more responsibly in the future.
NOTE: This article was originally published on Travel Up.
