A dead green sea turtle was fished out on Sunday morning by residents who were swimming off the shorelines of Barangay Arimbay, this city, a police report said.

Ryan Arcinue, 38, a resident of said village, told the police that he, his family and some friends, were swimming at the shorelines of Purok Seven when they noticed that the dead green sea turtle floating some 50 meters from the shore around 9:30 a.m., said Capt. Dexter Panganiban, Albay police spokesperson.

The incident was immediately brought to the attention of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the city police station. Both offices immediately sent a team to conduct an investigation into the report.

Sheila Conche, technical staff of the Conservation and Development Division, DENR Regional Office-5, said the sea turtle, a female measuring 2.4 feet in length and 2.3 feet in width, could have died due to drowning.

Research shows that although sea turtles spend most of their lives in the water, they do sometimes drown. Sometimes, sea turtles get caught in fishing nets and drown as they try to set themselves free.

“Upon accomplishing the required reports, villagers led by Conche and Carlito Anonuevo, village councilman and Bantay Dagat officer buried the dead turtle at the village shorelines,” Panganiban said. (PNA)