A New Life at Queen Tuna Park: Marine Turtles’ New Nesting Site

Anew set of impressions was gained after the Queen Tuna Park’s redevelopment project led by the City Mayor, Lorelie Pacquiao where a generous fund of 20 million pesos was allocated for the resort enhancement. The amenities and cleanliness of the public beach resort improved significantly that attracted not only the tourists to visit but also the locals.

The best merit of this act is the newly found presence of the marine turtle eggs that are currently nesting at the said resort. According to the witnesses, the eggs were discovered on January 12, 2023 and are expected to hatch 50 to 60 days or two months after they were laid.

In line with this, the City Environmental and Natural Resources Office took action for the protection of the future hatchlings. In pursuance of this goal, the workers had been proactive on securing the place by putting fences and signages to inform unoriented tourists about the presence of the marine turtle egg.

Different organizations even lent a hand for the coastal cleanup drive of Queen Tuna Park such as the Philippine National Police (PNP), the joint forces of the Local Government Unit (LGU), the Aklat-EduKar scholars, and many more volunteers on securing the new marine life residing at the resort.

If the eggs will be properly hatched, the chance of Queen Tuna Park becoming a new nesting site for marine turtles will be absolute. According to Carrie Arnold of National Geographic, turtles return to the exact spot where they were born to lay eggs. They maneuver through the invisible lines of magnetic field to navigate themselves through the sea. of prolonged exposure to heat and high humidity, reminding people to keep hydrated and take steps to protect themselves from heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.

Furthermore, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), marine turtles reach sexual maturity at the age of 20 to 30 years and lay eggs annually. This implies that in the near future, Queen Tuna Park will officially become a nesting site for marine turtles which will surely be a treat for the tourist.

MSU-General Santos campus secretary Norman Ralph Isla affirmed that he received instructions from university chancellor Usman Aragasi on Sunday evening, March 26 to notify all students, professors, and employees of the decision via social media.