Pawikan Conservation Center

We saw a road sign going to Las Casas but  we headed first to Pawikan Conservation Center.  We have no idea on how far it would   take us to get there and only relied on the signs, "Straight Ahead to Pawikan."    There were a  few signs but not  the approximate  kilometer or  minutes  away  from the center.   I was thinking  we're   just  a  few  meters  or  ten minutes  away  to the destination. After  about  more than half an hour,  we saw this arrow pointing us to  Pawikan Center and behold,  we finally reached  Pawikan!    We  would like to extend our  big thanks to  Joy's  husband,  John for  this "Straight Ahead to Pawikan"   trip.   That  was  a  no retreat- no surrender trip!    We already had two stops,  Dunsulan Falls  and  Mt. Samat  before this trip  and  already  needing and wanting  for rest.
 

We went there to visit  sea turtles  but we really don't know what to expect.  It was included in  the  itinerary but I  did not  google   it  before the trip.   We have no idea what awaits us at the center.  We were already cracking jokes on our way  to the center  that there were no  turtles  anymore and have already returned to  the sea.   And  we said it right,   but there were  three.   We were a little bit unlucky  because a hundred and fifty  baby Pawikan  were released  to the sea, a little late,  just a week before our visit.

 

The  volunteer/guide  was very kind to us and explained  about  the program of  the Pawikan Conservation Center.    There were quite a few volunteers inside  the center  and some of  these men  once  were  hunters of  Pawikan  as their  means  of   livelihood,   now turned  volunteers  to help save the Pawikan.

 

 
 There were different informative posters in the center.  It was another knowledge trip and we learned more of the Pawikan and their importance to ecological balance.

There were only three Pawikan left in the center,  Olive Ridley, Green Turtle and Hawksbill.   Olive Ridley  (above photo)  was donated to them by the owner  because the owner cannot sustain anymore to have a pet   Pawikan.  This Pawikan stays only in one corner   because,  it  grew up  living in  a  basin,  finds home  in  the corner  of the pond   and  that   corner  becomes its  habitat.  They couldn't  free Olive Ridley  to the sea because  it doesn't  know how to dive.

Hawksbill, (hunchback) and Green Turtle (see photo below)  are also  resident sea turtles at  the center. 

See more photos below.

The Life Cycle of Sea Turtle

Visiting the Pawikan Conservation Center was a great experience although we didn't  get to see eggs or little hatchlings. If you are planning to visit the center,  better call them  first  to know the perfect time to visit if  you want to see baby  turtles.  There is a season where the sea turtles come to the beach to lay their eggs  from November to December. The  turtles that  were  born here come back after 25 years.
 

There are rooms for rent in the center for those who  want to stay overnight. I can stay here for the whole day,  listening to the  waves of  the sea  while waiting  for the turtles to come.  The sound of the waves rushing to the shore make my heart beats faster.  I love the sea  but  not  for  swimming.  We  then  proceeded  to our final destination  Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar    right after that  quick visit.

And because we came here on Monday,  there were no other guests again and that's the only thing I love about  Mondays!


It was all worth the trip. It's another great exposure for the kids, and adult as well. :)

There are 7 Pawikan species in the world,   five can be found in the Philippines. Of these five,  three Pawikan  (includes  Hawksbill, Olive Ridley and the Green Turtle)  can be found in the entire coasts of  Bagac and Morong.


Pawikan Conservation Center
Nagbalayong, Morong, Bataan