Puerto Princesa Sea Turtle Release & Beach Cleanup

Sea turtle populations in the Philippines are critically endangered by nest poaching, bycatch and plastic ingestion. Community-run hatcheries along the Palawan coast incubate collected eggs from nesting females in protected conditions, then release hatchlings at dawn — the time when temperature is lowest and predatory seabirds are least active, maximising survival rates.

This morning experience begins at 5:00 AM at a community hatchery south of Puerto Princesa. A ranger explains the incubation programme, the species present (usually green turtle and hawksbill), and the satellite-tagging initiative tracking adults that nest on this beach. Each participant then carries a small batch of hatchlings (typically 5-10 per person) to the water's edge and releases them into the surf at first light — watching them swim out into the Sulu Sea is a visceral conservation experience that photographs cannot fully capture.

The release is followed by a 90-minute community beach cleanup along a 500-metre section of nesting beach, using GPS-tagged data sheets to log waste composition for scientific analysis. The cleanup data feeds into the national marine litter monitoring programme. Gloves, bags and data sheets are provided. You finish around 8:30 AM — early enough to continue with a morning Sabang Underground River tour or a Palawan wildlife encounter in the afternoon.