A SEA TURTLE was rescued in Moalboal, Cebu after allegedly being hit by a mechanized boat.
Moalboal Vice Mayor Jinky Hanika said in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, the turtle appeared to have been struck by the boat while surfacing for air.
“This turtle was rescued by our town’s sea patrol. From what I saw, she was run over by a mechanized boat as she surfaced for air,” reads a portion of Hanika’s post in Cebuano.
Hanika called on boatmen to slow down and avoid known turtle habitats to prevent the animals from being run over by their vessels.
“My heart ached watching her, as she was so helpless and unable to heal herself,” said Hanika.
Hanika did not mention in her post the location where the sea turtle was found.
However, Panagsama Beach in Moalboal is a popular destination for tourists, serving as the location for the famous sardine run. It is also the main site for island-hopping tours, where motorized boats anchor to allow guests to see the sardines and local sea turtles.
Rescue
A separate post from ‘Ang Taga,’ a student publication of Cebu Technological University Moalboal Campus on Wednesday, Aug. 20, said the College of Fisheries and Allied Sciences (CFAS), headed by its dean Robinson Amihan, responded to the incident in coordination with Moalboal’s Bantay Dagat and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Bantay Dagat personnel, led by Narciso Cabanag, discovered the turtle with the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard
and volunteer divers.
The turtle, estimated to be over 70 years old, was delivered by pump boat to the Coast Guard Office. ‘Ang Taga’ said Hanika was present during the transport.
“Cabanag revealed that the turtle’s carapace was severely damaged after being hit by the propeller of a pump boat,” stated the post by Ang Taga.
The rescued turtle will remain under observation for one week before its release.
Experts have treated its wounds to prevent infection and support healing.
According to a separate report from Ang Taga on June 19, the CFAS rescued a vulnerable green sea turtle on June 14 in the town, marking the eighth one for the college in a four-year span.
The turtle was found at Panagsama Beach by a tourist guide after it had swallowed a fishing hook.
The CFAS transported the turtle to a clinic in Carcar City, where a veterinary team successfully removed the hook. After a brief rest, the juvenile turtle was released back into the water that same day. / CDF