WATCH: Giant leatherback turtle in Camarines Sur released back to sea

SEND-OFF. Residents of Barangay Duran, Balatan town, give the giant leatherback turtle a send-off after authorities deemed the creature ready for release. Photo courtesy of Ryan Cendiño

MANILA, Philippines – Authorities and residents of a coastal village in Balatan town, Camarines Sur, on Thursday, November 22, released a giant leatherback sea turtle brought ashore that morning by a fisherman after the creature got entangled in a fishing net in Ragay Gulf.

The giant turtle, a female, received treatment for its bruises and was tagged before it was released.

Ryan Cediño, a research assistant at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, fully documented the treatment and release of the animal on his Facebook page.

READY FOR RELEASE. The giant leatherback turtle is ready to be returned to the sea after it received treatment for its bruises and scrapes caused by its net entanglement. Photo courtesy of Ryan Cediño

It marked the second time for fishermen to accidentally catch a leatherback sea turtle in the same area, making Balatan town a hotspot for marine turtles. In July, fishermen caught a smaller leatherback turtle. – Rappler.com