LET'S call him Miles.
One day, Miles was swimming in the beautiful waters of Cebu minding his own business. He’s a handsome turtle, big and majestic. When divers pass him, they stop and stare, in awe of this gentle giant. From a safe distance, they watch, take photos, and bask in his beauty.
On occasion, tourists see Miles on his way to work. Miles lives a simple life as a bank teller under the sea—serving other sea creatures and making sure that fish pay their loans, the bank is up and running, and shell currencies are readily available for everyone.
Miles swims to work daily. He does his groceries, goes out for drinks with other turtle friends, and enjoys his time with his family. Miles likes shell hockey and enjoys watching movies under the sea. Finding Nemo is his favorite.
Miles is happy under the sea. He entertains visitors, smiles at guests, and minds his own business. When tourists come and dive, he looks at them, acknowledges their presence, and minds his own business. He has other things to do.
Sadly, for some visitors, they have other things to do as well.
Tourists hear a lot about Miles. The idea of seeing Miles excite tourists. Everyone wants to see miles, and they’d want a piece of him as well.
Miles never did anything wrong. He was just minding his own business. Yet, as he was swimming in his beautiful home under the sea, someone else just robbed him of his life.
Miles is dead.
Last week, news broke online that a green sea turtle was found dead in Cebu. Cause of death is still being investigated. The turtle was beautiful—such a majestic sight. Yet, it was heartbreaking to hear and see of his death online. The turtle did not deserve to die.
Marine life, or any life for that matter, deserves the same kind of respect we give to our family and friends. Don’t touch and disturb marine life when you are out. They don’t want to be touched by random strangers in the same way you do not want to be touched by random strangers as well. How would you feel if someone came up to you in your own backyard, tried to grab you, or hurt you?
Take care of your garbage. Be mindful of what you dispose of and what you use. A bird could eat and choke on a string of plastic or a straw could shoot up a turtle’s nose.
A little respect and care for all wildlife under or above water goes a long way. There are many forms of nation building and caring for this planet, and one way is to show more respect and care to all animals. We are given just one planet, we share this planet with so many other animals, disrespecting wildlife, hurting and killing them is not, well, nice.
Let’s remember to share this planet with Miles and his friends. And let’s protect their lives just as we protect our own. Save Miles.