Environment monitoring personnel have spotted a solitary marine mammal within the Strict Protection Zone (SPZ) of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Soccsksargen Region (DENR-12) said Wednesday.

Cirilo Lagnason Jr, SBPS protected area superintendent, said the marine mammal, a dugong, was sighted during the DENR-12 quarterly watch on Tuesday afternoon.

Using a drone camera, the dugong, which is the SBPS’s flagship species, was seen by DENR-12 personnel foraging in the seagrass beds off Barangay Gumasa, Glan, Sarangani province.

“The sighting highlights the critical role of SPZ as a sanctuary of threatened marine wildlife,” Lagnason Jr said in a statement Wednesday.

He said joint efforts have been conducted to protect the dugongs which are vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss.

Sea turtle hatchlings released into the sea

The sighting of the dugong came as environment officials released back to its natural habitat 94 sea turtle hatchlings to Sarangani Bay on Monday.

Joy Cl Ologuin, community environment and natural resources officer (CENRO) of Glan, said the endangered olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) hatchlings found their way to the ocean as they were freed along the coastal stretch of Barangay Cablalan in Glan, Sarangani province.

“Before they were set free back to the wild, CENRO Glan personnel enlightened the local community about the pivotal role of the sea turtles, locally known as ‘pawikan’, in maintaining the biodiversity of the oceans,” Ologuin said. (PNA)