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, August 20, 2025, that the turtle appeared to have been struck by the boat while surfacing for air.
“Na rescue ni sya sa mga Bantay Dagat sa atong lungsod. Sa ako tan-aw kay kita man jud ko, naligsan ni sya sa mechanized boat samtang nisaka gikan sa ilawom sa dagat aron moginhawa (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),” read a portion of Hanika’s post.
Hanika, in her post, called boat captains to slow down and avoid known turtle habitats to prevent the animals from being run over by vessels.
“Sakita’s ako dughan gatan-aw niya kay helpless jud intawon sya kay di man sya makatambal sa iyang kaugalingon (My heart ached while watching her, as she was so helpless and unable to heal herself),” Hanika said.
Hanika did not mention in her post the location where the sea turtle was found.
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, August 20, said that the College of Fisheries and Allied Sciences (CFAS) headed by their dean Robinson Amihan responded to the incident upon coordination with Moalboal's Bantay Dagat and the Philippine Coast Guard.
The turtle, estimated to be over 70 years old, was delivered by pump boat to the Coast Guard Office.
Ang Taga said that Hanika was present during the transport.
Bantay Dagat personnel, led by Narciso Cabanag, discovered the turtle with the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard and volunteer divers.
“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 is now under monitoring and 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, 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.
SunStar Cebu reached out to Amihan for updates and further questions on Friday, August 22, but has yet to respond as of this posting Friday evening. (CDF)