After hatching in a busy beach resort here, some 100 baby sea turtles (pawikan) made their way back home on Saturday. The olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) were born at a hatchery of All Hands Beach and began their voyage as soon as they were released back to the open sea. "We let them crawl and reach the sea on their own. They have imprint characteristic. They imprint on the unique magnetic field of their birthplace and the female ones use this information to return to this beach to nest,” said Emerita Sebial, chief of the Protected Areas, Wildlife and Coastal Zone Management Services in Olongapo City. The female pawikan would return to this beach to lay eggs in the next 20 to 25 years, she said.

Macatuno, A. (2017, December 10). 100 baby sea turtles released to open sea. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A6.