Green sea turtle
Chelonia mydas
Sighting evidence at Hilutungan Channel, Mactan Island
Photo: MARC MARTIN SOLA · CC BY-NC
Green turtles are the defining encounter at Hilutungan, present on virtually every dive thanks to the channel's abundant algae and protected status since the early 1990s. Individuals are so accustomed to divers that they continue feeding and resting as snorkellers and scuba divers approach to within a few metres. The channel's turtle population is tracked by local researchers and shows a slow but steady recovery compared to heavily fished areas of the Visayas. Endangered globally; Hilutungan is one of the most accessible sites in Southeast Asia to observe them in a natural, undisturbed state.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Green sea turtle is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.