As tourism ground to a halt in Siargao, environmental officials in the coastal town of Del Carmen in Surigao del Norte province saw a record number of sea turtle rescues. From March to November last year, the Municipal Environment and Natural Resource Office (Menro) listed incidents of rescue and eventual release of 25 sea turtles after these were tagged. Another 23 were turned over by fishermen to the village council of Caub, of which five have already been released. The rest are awaiting tagging by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources before they are returned to the sea. The reptiles were mostly trapped in fishnets and cages as they swam toward the now empty beaches.

Mascariñas, E. M. (2021, January 31). Siargao reptiles thrive as tourism pauses. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A11.