![Maitum pawikan](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_lossless,ret_img,w_580,h_387/https://langyaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/maitum_pawikan_5.jpg)
Mindanao, the Philippines’s second largest island has a veil of mystery draped around her. Feared by the uninformed but loved by those who know her true worth and beauty. This series is my tribute for Mindanao, where I’ve been crisscrossing over the years and where a part of me also comes from. The baby turtles were just at the holding pen, about three inches long, 15-20 individuals. Some were sleeping with their front flappers conveniently resting atop the carapace while some biting on a blanched but definitely dead fish floating on the surface.
The first time I saw these animals, I was just beaming with joy, smiling in between taking photographs, shooting like crazy. But who wouldn’t be drawn to such cute animals? Looking at these will definitely melt your heart, much more when you learn their facts of life: only 1% in a clutch of a 100 eggs make it to adults, or return to the same beach where they were laid.
![Maitum pawikan](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_lossless,ret_img,w_580,h_409/https://langyaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/maitum_pawikan_1.jpg)
According to Danilo, the beach is home to around five species of marine turtles, almost all are endangered: olive ridley, hawksbill, green turtle, loggerhead and the leatherback, the biggest of its kind but one that was last seen ten years ago.
The sanctuary is just a few meters by the beach area and at any given time, there are baby turtles at the holding pen. At a small sandy clearing, fenced and protected from animals, are plastic netting encircling a tiny patch of ground. Here, turtle eggs wait it out until hatched.
![Maitum pawikan](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_lossless,ret_img,w_580,h_387/https://langyaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/maitum_pawikan_4.jpg)
My unforgettable moment? Setting free a few baby turtles out into the open and praying that they will brave the harsh conditions of the sea and be able to evade predators to live to adulthood and, for the females, to eventually come back to Maitum and lay their eggs after a journey around the oceans of the world.
To reach the Pawikan Nesting Sanctuary, ride a habalhabal from the town proper, if you don’t have your own private vehicle, to Old Poblacion, Maitum. Drivers know where this place is. A donation is very much appreciated at the sanctuary.
Visit Maitum now and explore this wonderful municipality rich with natural, cultural, historical and natural wonders that will surely make your visit worthwhile. Contact the municipal tourism office via tourism officer Arlex at +63 919 373 8007.
i’m hunting for pawikans here in cebu too. though i don’t know of any hatching places, looks like boljoon is a great place to hangout for these cute, shy, sea creatures.
naa kaha diri bai? basi wala na kay nahurot 🙂
might ask around camotes
what an experience bai! been wanting to do the same…
Meron din sa bataan na gusto kong puntahan
One of the pet I use to want when I was young is this…
But then I found out through Discovery Channel that when they’re that small they can go and swim into the sea but 50/50 chance of living because there’s a great possibility that they’ll be just eaten by big fishes in the sea. T,T
I hope I could visit this place too..weeee…!