Green sea turtle

Photo: sharksally · 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.