Physalus: Plastics can kill marine mammals Hawksbill turtle saved from death for ingesting plastic

JAGNA, BOHOL ,Philippines  - Plastic debris or non-biodegradables drifting at sea due to indiscriminate or deliberate trash throwing could be lethal to marine mammals that might be able to ingest this waste.

This was the story of a little hawksbill turtle that a fisherman found floating at sea, almost lifeless, and was eventually rescued, treated, rejuvenated and the released back to sea four months after.

The turtle, named JT, was released by Physalus-a marine conservation group-at the coast of Barangay Cantagay of this town in the later part of last October with the help of Mayor Fortunato Abrenilla and Barangay Chairman Joel Rosario.

Physalus head Dr. Alessandro Ponzo, said in his email: "The ingestion of plastic is one of the major threats for most of the marine wildlife in the world."

Ponzo explained that turtles usually feed on jellyfish and squids, and JT accidentally swallowed some plastic bags and other non-biodegradable drifts at sea that resemble the shapes and colors of these squids and jellyfish.

These "(plastics) caused the obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, preventing the animal to feed and debilitating the animal," said Ponzo.

A fisherman found the turtle drifting and very weak, as if lifeless, in the seawaters off Cantagay last June 18. It was turned over to the Physalus through the efforts of Mytee Palo of the Bohol Alliance of NGOs and Jagna's municipal agricultural officer.

Physalus immediately put JT into a treatment program to save the hawksbill turtle from death, and rehabilitate it back to its normal life.

Ponzo narrated: "The turtle has been treated daily with vitamins and antibiotics for the first two months by the medical team of Physalus. In collaboration with the Bohol Rescue Unit for Marine Mammals, the Municipal Agricultural Office and the LGU of Jagna, it has been taken care of 24/7 for more than four months by expert marine biologists to be able to ensure the successful rehabilitation of the animal.

"JT was being tube-fed for two months and slowly fed with whole squids. After JT had fully recovered and became very active, it could consume 10-12 squids a day and gained almost 2-kg, from 4.2-kg since the day it was stranded to 5.75-kg after four months," he said.

Physalus and town officials also thanked those who helped save, rehabilitate and release JT back to the sea: Juliet Paler of the DENR, Leonarda Vallejos of the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO), representatives of the Bohol Integrated Development Foundation (BIDEF), KAYAK-ASIA team, Jeremy Horowitz and Cantagay barangay officials and some concerned residents.