Philippines,Travel,Travel & Kids

Releasing Baby Turtles: Pawikan Conservation Center (Bataan, Philippines)

Pawikan 1-min

Last week, we had one of the simplest yet most magical experiences ever; releasing baby pawikans (turtles) into the wild at the Pawikan Conservation Center in Bataan.

Pawikan Conservation Center

Pawikan 2-min

The Pawikan Conservation Center is a local initiative that aims to protect marine turtles in the area.

The Bantay Pawikan team, as they are called, helps rescue injured pawikans and spearheads initiatives to help stop harmful activities against the pawikans like collecting eggs or throwing trash in the sea.

As I was informed by Mr. Manolo, part of the Bantay Pawikan team, they opened the activity of releasing baby pawikans to the public to generate awareness. At the same time, they also wanted to boost tourism in their area and to generate funds to keep their projects sustainable. Very creative, don’t you think?

Releasing Baby Pawikans

Pawikan 10-min

We spent the weekend in Bataan with friends and our itinerary consisted only of two things: Visiting Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar (review on that coming next!) and releasing baby pawikans.

I kid you not; the entire two days, the kids just kept asking if we were going to see the baby turtles already! Haha.

Pawikan 3-min

Mr. Manolo, informed us that several eggs hatched early that morning! Praise God for perfect timing! So after we gathered the baby turtles we were going to release, we were directed to the beach.

At first, Luke was so afraid to pick the turtles up but he eventually mustered up some courage! So proud of my brave little boy! Had to take my snaps quickly because it was best to place the turtles on the sand as soon as possible.

Pawikan 6-min

We gave the turtles names. The first one, Luke named “Ariel.” Then the next one was “Aladdin.” We also had an “Al-Al,” “Din-Din,” “Ponggo,” and even one named “Luke!”

Actually, it was naming the turtles that helped Luke loosen up and be brave!

Pawikan 7-min

Just like Luke, it was my first time to do this as well and what an amazing treat it was. The experience made me think about how amazing God is and how He takes care of everything; even the tiniest creatures, up to the tiniest detail.

It was also a good opportunity to remind Luke about how wonderful God is as our Creator.

Turtle Race!

Pawikan 5-min

The kids had a mini race to see which of their turtles would get into the water first. Here’s Luke cheering his turtle on. Yaay! They all had a lot of fun seeing their turtles being washed away by the waves.

Pawikan 4-min

However, not everyone was blissful. Haha! My husband was semi-panicking inside because of all our dirty feet!! He was so worried about getting our car dirty (what is it with boys and their cars?! Hehe jk!) So in case your husband, or you, are like my husband, here are some tips that might be helpful:

  • Since the activity is done on the beach, wear aqua shoes or slippers so you can easily change before boarding your car again. Luke is wearing our all-time fave and his second pair of Baby Banz Beach Surf shoes!
  • Make sure you bring with you TOWELS (we didn’t have any!!) There’s an area where you can wash your feet after.
  • Bring wet bags where you can put your dirty shoes/slippers after to avoid any mess in the car.
  • Didn’t see any showers (but I didn’t look for them anyway, so I’m not really sure) so just bring wet wipes to get all the sand off after.

Pawikan 11-min

These pawikans, should they survive the wild, will come back to the very same beach 20-30 years later to hatch their own eggs. Hope to see you all next time, when Luke is in his 20’s and I’m in my (gasp) 50’s!

Pawikan 8-min

It was a great experience not just for the kids but also for us. Another one to add to our list of “Must-Visit Places Near Manila with Kids!”

Visit The Pawikan Conservation Center

Pawikan 0-min

Want to release baby pawikans as well? You can!

The Pawikan Conservation Center is located at Morong, Bataan and is easily searchable on Waze. It was just around 30-40 minutes away from where we stayed, which was at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar (review on that soon.) If you’re driving from Manila, it might take you around 3-3.5 hours.

Important things to remember:

  • Call or text Mr. Manolo prior to your visit to make sure there are pawikans available. You can also reserve. His number is: +639216302842
  • Remind him on the day and tell him your estimated arrival time to make sure he really keeps those pawikans until your arrival!
  • Hatching season is from November to Mid-March. Again, best to call Mr. Manolo to confirm.
  • Entrance per person is P20. As mentioned, each turtle released costs P50. The fees help support and keep the place running. You are also in turn supporting their endeavours to protect pawikans.

Special thanks to my friend Amber for recommending this place! Check out her own article about their visit here!

Looking for family-friendly places to visit near Metro Manila? We’re also on the lookout!

Click to view all posts under “ROADTRIPS FROM MANILA” to see where we’ve gone so far!

(NOTE: THIS POST IS ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE LAST FEBRUARY 2018.)
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46 Comments

  • Reply
    Rubi
    February 19, 2018 at 2:13 pm

    This is so adorable Sheena!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 19, 2018 at 3:32 pm

      Thanks Rubi, releasing baby turtles was such a treat for the kids!

  • Reply
    Freeoversea
    February 19, 2018 at 7:30 pm

    There is nothing more magical than this: releasing baby turtles to the sea and involving children in the processes of mother nature. It is amazing how they can learn from it, allowing them to be a part of the earth development and raising them as conscious human beings :)
    Love your work,
    xx

    Patricia & Miguel

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 19, 2018 at 9:51 pm

      Hey Patricia and Miguel, thanks for that. Yes we really want Luke to learn more about his surroundings and gain a deeper understanding about the world.

  • Reply
    Amber
    February 19, 2018 at 9:54 pm

    Your photos are perfection Sheena! Next adventure, we go together!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 19, 2018 at 10:34 pm

      Thanks Amber!! And YES PLEASE! I’m sure Luke would have a blast playing with the boys! <3

  • Reply
    Jennifer
    February 19, 2018 at 10:29 pm

    This is so cool!! And adorable!!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 19, 2018 at 11:28 pm

      Thanks Jennifer, the turtles were extremely adorable!!

  • Reply
    Marie roque
    February 20, 2018 at 12:20 am

    Love ur tips sheens!! A big help for those who plan to go there so they can be more prepared and less stressed !! Hahahaha :)

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 20, 2018 at 12:40 am

      Haha thanks Marie, it was so much fun to travel with you guys! <3

  • Reply
    Stacey
    February 20, 2018 at 3:04 am

    Wow this is so cute! I love this types of conservation centres for animals since I think it’s very important to save and protect our wild life as much as possible. Thanks for sharing this!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 20, 2018 at 8:20 am

      Yes they really need more support too because not a lot of people know about them. Thanks Stacey!

  • Reply
    Zunera
    February 20, 2018 at 5:45 pm

    Aww that’s adorable.. your little one is so cute x

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 20, 2018 at 9:42 pm

      Thanks Zunera!

  • Reply
    Ellen from Ask Away Blog
    February 20, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    OH MY GOD! that is so amazing that you had the opportunity to do that!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 20, 2018 at 11:01 pm

      It was a fun experience. :)

  • Reply
    Carly
    February 21, 2018 at 12:54 am

    What an amazing experience! I bet your kid loved releasing the turtles

    Have a great week!
    Carly

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 21, 2018 at 1:17 am

      He really did and the other kids as well! 😉

  • Reply
    Face to Curls
    February 22, 2018 at 2:36 am

    OOh, those turtles are so cute and adorable. So nice to see the kids enjoying themselves :-)

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 22, 2018 at 9:05 am

      Hi Ann, yes they really had a lot of fun!

  • Reply
    Cris
    February 22, 2018 at 3:46 pm

    Lovely post. Thank you so much for sharing it. I love the images too. Have a great day

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 22, 2018 at 5:59 pm

      Hey Cris, thanks so much!

  • Reply
    Eena
    February 24, 2018 at 10:43 am

    Omg, Sheena! Those baby turtles are the cutest things ever! I’m so glad Luke got to experience this – he looks so happy! Bless him.

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 25, 2018 at 10:02 am

      Thanks Eena yes he was soooo happy!!!

  • Reply
    Kathrine Eldridge
    February 26, 2018 at 5:10 am

    I would love to do this with my kids! The turtles are so cute. Thanks for sharing this experience!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 26, 2018 at 9:04 am

      It’s a great experience and yes the turtles are delightful.

  • Reply
    Maryam
    February 26, 2018 at 5:45 am

    Oh my! Those baby turtles are so cute. I had one when i was little.

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 26, 2018 at 9:03 am

      Awww hehe yeah they are adorable!

  • Reply
    Susie | Mile High Dreamers
    February 26, 2018 at 11:34 am

    Anyone that knows me knows I have a SERIOUS heart for animals, so this is just magical to me. Honestly, I would be SO HAPPY if I got to experience this! And what an incredible way to educate people about the importance of taking care of our planet and the effect we have on living creatures. I definitely think that giving kids the opportunity to be hands on with these things has a lasting impact to create empathy and a drive to take care of our world. Luke and his friends look so happy and sweet. I love this!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 26, 2018 at 3:15 pm

      Yes that’s really one of my goals, thanks Susie!! They had a lot of fun and I pray it will have a lasting impact of them. :)

  • Reply
    KIMMY
    February 26, 2018 at 2:47 pm

    I didn’t know they allow this. It’s definitely a fun family activity. Thanks for sharing!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 26, 2018 at 9:09 pm

      It really was! Thanks Kimmy!

  • Reply
    Margot
    February 27, 2018 at 12:10 am

    It’s so adorable !
    This places is great. It musts me a little bit magical to help theses little turtles to reach the sea. There are so cute !

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 27, 2018 at 1:21 pm

      Yes it was a great experience for the kids!

  • Reply
    Mihaailo
    February 27, 2018 at 4:35 am

    I am so in love with this post! I love bright photos with blue tones!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 27, 2018 at 1:21 pm

      Thanks Mihaailo, it was fun!

  • Reply
    Colleen
    February 27, 2018 at 9:58 am

    awww they are so cute!! This sounds like such a fun day!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 27, 2018 at 1:21 pm

      It really was!

  • Reply
    Esthelyn Alejo
    February 27, 2018 at 10:33 pm

    I love your stories especially this one. It made me want to take my kids and release baby turtles with them. More power!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      February 28, 2018 at 8:11 am

      Thanks Esthelyn! It was fun!

  • Reply
    Nancy
    March 3, 2018 at 9:38 am

    So cool that your family experienced releasing some baby pawikans into the ocean! Luke looks so adorable holding the turtle. Oh man, the reason why I don’t go to the beach is because of the sand getting into my car XD. Good tip about bringing wet bags!

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      March 3, 2018 at 3:37 pm

      Haha you’re like my husband! 😉

  • Reply
    Kim
    March 8, 2018 at 9:13 pm

    Oh my gosh, this was the most precious pots ever! The baby turtles! The little kids! What an experience! Thanks for sharing!

    Kim

    • Reply
      Sheena Sy Gonzales
      March 9, 2018 at 9:51 am

      Yeah they really had fun it was so cute to watch haha!

  • Reply
    Leds20p
    March 18, 2019 at 4:57 pm

    I wish we can do this too! Nice experience

  • Reply
    Michelle villanueva
    November 28, 2019 at 6:24 am

    I wish all animals have this kind of center na mapapangalagaan ang welfare nila. It’s so adorable na naeexpose nyo po si luke sa ganitong activities surely lalake syang mabuting bata.

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