~ Feeding

API — P1 ●​ No teeth - have a beak

●​ Feeds on: crabs. Other shellfish, jelly fish, seagrasses, seaweeds
Sea Turtle/Pawikan/Tortuga/Pawer/Ba-o/Bakoko/Pagong ~ Oxygen
●​ Use lungs to breathe air
●​ Can dive for 2.5 hrs at rest
~ Marine Reptiles ~ Movement
●​ Marine Turtles ●​ Streamlined Carapace
●​ Sea Snakes - Pacific and Indian Oceans ●​ Forelimbs for swimming
○​ 50 species ●​ Hindlimbs act as rudders
○​ Mostly venomous ~ Lifecycle
○​ Laterally flattened body ●​ Spend most of life at sea
●​ Marine lizards - only Galapagos ●​ Return to beach they were born to lay eggs every 2-4 yrs
●​ Marine Iguana ●​ Mating is just offshore
~ Anatomy ●​ Internal fertilization
●​ Internal and External Skeleton - for protection and support ●​ Females climb to upper beach at night
●​ Plastron - ventral part of shell ●​ Excavates pit; lays 100-160 eggs in pit and covers
●​ Carapace - dorsal part of shell ●​ Eggs - leathery, look like ping pong balls
○​ Broadened, fused ribs, spine fused to it ●​ Drags herself back to water
○​ Cannot withdraw into shells ●​ Can nest several times per season
○​ Leatherback - exception w/ leathery skin over many small bones ●​ Eggs incubate for about 60 days
(allows to dive to 3,000 feet) ●​ Cool temperatures = males; Warm temperature = females
●​ Scutes - firm, pliant plates covering carapace; helps distinguish species ●​ Hatch and dig to surface (few days to dig)
●​ Salt gland near eyes - removes excess salt gained from drinking sea water ●​ Emerge at night and instinctively find way to water
(looks like tears)
●​ No external ear
●​ Good sense of smell

●​ Lost yrs - swim in sea for several yrs

●​ Then often return to adult feeding grounds
●​ Find way by sensing wave motion & earth’s magnetic field
●​ Reach maturity at 15 - 30 yrs old
●​ Lay eggs on beach they were born

●​ Male - long tail; concave plastron

●​ Female - short tail; convex plastron

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~ Threats
●​ Destruction of nesting habitat
○​ Development
○​ Beach erosion
○​ Compacting beach sediments - by cars
●​ Drowning in fishing nets, long lines
●​ TEDs (turtle exclusion devices) on shrimp trawls
●​ Choking on floatable debris (i.e., plastic bags)
●​ Artificial lighting - disorients hatching
●​ Hit by boats
●​ Shells for jewelry, etc.
~ Status
●​ All species of sea turtles are endangered or threatened
●​ Ex: Kemp’s Ridley - most endangered
○​ 42,000 in 1947: 400 - 500 today
○​ Nest only on few beaches in Mexico
~ Sea Turtles and Dinosaurs
●​ Sea turtles have remained unchanged for 150 million yrs

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 Name Notes Characteristic Vet Notes

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) ●​ Endangered worldwide ●​ Smooth oval carapace; “sunburst” ●​ Common presentations: entanglement
●​ Found in Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian pattern on scutes; often clean in injuries, boat-strike trauma, emaciation,
Oceans juveniles buoyance problems, suspected foreign
●​ Habitat - coastlines, bays, and seas ●​ Prefrontal scutes: 1 pair body ingestion and potentially
grass beds ●​ Coastal scutes: 4 pairs with first costal fibropapillomatosis.
●​ 400-600 pounds; 3-4 ft long not touching the nuchal ●​ Examination: full physical including
●​ Herbivore - sea grass & algae ●​ Small, rounded “C-shaped” head with a body condition score, shell and limb
●​ 115 eggs/pest short, rounded serrated beak and assessment, auscultation of lungs,
●​ Threats - food, eggs, by catch in relatively slender neck evaluation of salt gland discharge, and
shrimping ●​ One claw on each flipper. morphometrics for growth and release
●​ Diet: predominantly herbivorous planning.
(seagrass & algae) in coastal stages; ●​ Nutrition on rehab: Predominantly
gut microbiome & hindgut morphology herbivorous diet (seagrass and algae
adapt to ferment fibrous plant material analogues) with careful caloric control
●​ In the Philippines, greens are the most to prevent obesity and hepatic lipidosis.
frequently observed species in foraging ●​ Management: address respiratory
areas. complications of drowning, perform
surgical or medical management of
trauma and foreign bodies, and design
exercise for programs to restore
swimming abilities to release

Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) ●​ Endangered worldwide ●​ Carapace with overlapping, ●​ Common presentations: trauma from
●​ Most tropical turtle – found in “imbricated” scutes and serrated nets and boats, malnutrition linked to
Caribbean Sea, Atlantic, Pacific & posterolateral margins, particularly degraded reefs, ingestion of line or
Indian Oceans obvious in juveniles. hooks and shell or limb injuries from
●​ Habitat - estuaries, lagoons, & coastal ●​ Prefrontal scutes: 2 pairs; costal destructive fishing.
reefs scutes: 4 pairs with first costal not ●​ Examination: careful evaluation of the
●​ 100 – 200 pounds; 2-3 ft long touching the nuchal. head and beak for fractures or chronic
●​ Omnivore – sponges, anemones, ●​ Narrow head with a strongly hooked, damage; these are critical to their ability
shrimp, & squid pointed beak and slender neck. to feed efficiently on sponges.
●​ 160 eggs/ nest ●​ Two claws on each flipper. ●​ Nutrition on rehab: use invertebrate-rich
●​ Threats – harvested for beautiful shell diets that approximate natural prey;
●​ Diet is predominantly sponges avoid forcing highly herbivorous or
(spongivore 70-90% by volume), with extremely high-energy fish-based diets.
additional algae, tunicates, cnidarians ●​ Management: given high conservation
value, intensive treatment may be

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 and other inverts; this diet is tightly justified for cases with reasonable
linked to reef health. prognosis; long-term wound care,
●​ Juveniles show bright mottles physiotherapy and close liaison with
tortoiseshell patterns, while older authorities are essential
individuals can appear duller, though
scute arrangement and beak shape
remain distinctive

Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivaceaf) ●​ Endangered ●​ Small to medium turtle with a rounded, ●​ Common presentations: entanglement
●​ Tropical waters worldwide heart-shaped carapace, dark grey to injuries, amputated flippers, emaciation
●​ Habitat – coastal bays, estuaries & olive and usually relatively uniform. and gut foreign bodies from fishing gear
forage off shore ●​ Costal scutes: 5-9 pairs, often and plastics.
●​ 2 - 2½ feet long / 75 – 100 lbs asymmetrical; first costal scute touches ●​ Examination: detailed evaluation for
●​ Omnivore – crustaceans, mollusks, & the nuchal constriction marks and hidden injuries
fish ●​ Head small with a modestly hooked under old net or line; imaging for hooks
●​ Nest arribadas – 110 eggs/nest “parrot-like” beak; body compact. and internal foreign bodies.
●​ Threats – harvest of adults & eggs, ●​ Typically 1-2 claws on each flipper. ●​ Nutrition on rehab: offer a balanced
commercial fishing, & habitat omnivorous marine diet (invertebrates
destruction and fish) and avoid overfeeding small
●​ Juveniles are often very dark, almost individuals.
black, becoming paler as they mature. ●​ Management: decision should carefully
●​ Diet is omnivorous and opportunistic, weigh prognosis and welfare, as
including pelagic invertebrates, severely maimed turtles may be
crustaceans, mollusks, tunicates, unlikely to forage effectively
jellyfish and some vegetation. post-release.

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 How Arribadas Work?
-​ Timing: Triggered by lunar cycles, usually near the last quarter or dark moon phases.
-​ Scale: Involves hundreds to hundreds of thousands of turtles on a single beach
-​ Duration: Lasts for about 3 to 7 days per event.

Why Do Turtles Do This?

-​ Predator Swamping: Millions of eggs hatch together so predators cannot eat them all.
-​ Safety in Numbers: Overwhelming local animals ensures more babies survive to reach the ocean.

Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) ●​ Critically Endangered

●​ Found in the Gulf of Mexico
●​ Habitat – Shallow sandy or muddy flats
●​ 85 –100 pounds; 2 – 2.5 feet long
●​ Carnivore – crabs, shrimp, fish, squid,
jellyfish, sea urchins, & clams
●​ Nest in “arribadas” 110 eggs/nest
●​ Threats – taking for meat and eggs &
shrimping industry

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) ●​ Threatened ●​ Robust turtle with a very large head ●​ Common presentations: stranded
●​ Found in temperate and tropical waters and thick neck relative to body size. subadults or adults with hook injuries,
around the world ●​ Coastal scutes: 5 pairs; first costal flipper entanglement, carapace trauma
●​ Habitat – Estuaries & bays scute touches the nuchal. and sometimes severe emaciation.
●​ 300 - 400 pounds; 2 - 3 feet long ●​ Prefrontal scutes: usually 4-5 (often ●​ Examination: focus on head and jaw;
●​ Omnivore – shellfish on ocean floor, remembered with the “5 and 5” rule). fractures or severe deformities may
crabs, shellfish, & mussels ●​ Carapace color reddish-orange in preclude effective feeding even if the
●​ 100 – 125 eggs/nest juveniles, becoming more muted turtle otherwise stabilizes.
●​ Threats – coastal development, habitat reddish-brown in adults, generally ●​ Nutrition on rehab: provide suitable
destruction, & shrimping without elaborate patterning. sized hard-shelled prey analogues
●​ Loggerheads are rare visitors in the ●​ Two claws per flipper where safe, alongside softer items, to
Philippines, so accurate morphological encourage normal jaw use; avoid
confirmation is crucial. exclusively soft diets for long-term
●​ Diet shifts from pelagic invertebrates cases.
and cnidarians in juveniles to ●​ Management: Due to their reproductive
hard-shelled benthic prey (crabs, value, subadults and adults with good
mollusks, horseshoe crabs and others) prognosis may justify prolonged
in adults, using powerful crushing jaws.

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 rehabilitation efforts under close
collaboration with authorities.

Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) ●​ Endangered worldwide. ●​ Very large turtle with soft, leathery ●​ Common presentations: stranded,
●​ Most widely distributed turtle around carapace, lacking hard scutes and severely emaciated leatherbacks with
the world. From Alaska to Southern tip bearing 5 prominent dorsal ridges. suspected plastic ingestion or fishing
of Africa. ●​ Dorsal color mostly black with pale or gear injuries; these are rare but
●​ Habitat – pelagic open ocean, white spots, lighter underneath. high-profile cases.
migrating thousands of miles. ●​ Very long, pointed front flippers without ●​ Examination: rapid triage is vital,
●​ 700 – 2000 pounds. claws. assess overall viability, respiratory
●​ 5 - 9 feet long. ●​ Narrow, slightly hooked beak, mouth function, flipper integrity and presence
●​ Shell is made of tiny bone plates and esophagus lined with backward of foreign bodies using imaging where
covered by skin. pointing papillae to grip jellyfish. possible.
●​ Eat jellyfish. ●​ Nutrition on rehab: rehabilitation is
●​ 80 eggs/nest extremely challenging due to their
●​ Threats – long-line fishery, pollution, pelagic lifestyle and specialized diet;
and poaching eggs. attempts should only occur in
●​ Leatherbacks are unmistakable in size well-resourced, experienced facilities
and appearance. and under national authority guidance.
●​ Diet consists primarily of gelatinous ●​ Management: dietary management
zooplankton (jellyfish, salps and similar must mimic the low-calorie,
prey) that are low in energy density, high-water-content gelatinous prey as
necessitating high intake and closely as feasible; feeding high-energy
near-continuous swimming fish-based diet is inappropriate.

Flatback (Natator depressus) ●​ Critically Endangered

●​ Northern Australia
●​ Habitat – inshore waters, bays, coastal
reefs, & grassy shallows

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●​ 3 - 3½ feet long / 200 lbs
●​ Omnivore – sea cucumbers, jellyfish,
mollusks, inverts, & seaweed
●​ 55 eggs/nest – 4 nests/yr
●​ Threats – harvest of adults & eggs,
fishing, habitat loss, & ocean pollution

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~ 7 stages of nesting 4.​ Tamping & Camouflaging
1.​ Arrival - female turtle emerges from the ocean onto the beach a.​ Tamping – Rear flippers bury the eggs and pack down the sand.
b.​ Camouflaging – Using the front flippers, the turtle throw sand around
the nest site to hide the nest from predators.

2.​ Nest Construction

a.​ Body pitting – removal of the top dry layer of sand. The turtle needs
moist sand to dig its nest.
5.​ Return to the Ocean
a.​ Exiting – After laying and burying her eggs, the turtle returns to the
ocean.

b.​ Digging – Nest is dug with rear flippers only. Each flipper alternates
digging. Turtle digs until it can no longer reach the bottom of the nest.

6.​ Hatching Process

a.​ Eggs take 45 – 80 days to incubate & hatch
b.​ Use egg tooth to pip shell
c.​ Hatchlings work together to emerge from nest (sand elevator). This
can take several days
d.​ Swim frenzy-swim for several days pass reef to sargassum mats
e.​ 1 in 1,000 survives to adult

3.​ Egg Deposition (Laying)

a.​ Laying – Turtle slips into a trance and lays her eggs.

7.​ Emergence

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~ Why are sea turtles different? ○​ This can cause constriction injuries, impaired swimming, drowning
●​ Anatomy and severe soft tissue damage
○​ Fused ribs and vertebrae form the shell (carapace and plastron); shell ○​ Severe cases like trawler fishing nets which often lead to DCS, lung
fractures are equivalent to spinal tears and even death of the animal
fractures ○​ Signs:
○​ Cannot retract the head and ■​ External wounds and bruising
flippers into the shell ■​ Swollen or necrotic flippers (
○​ Absence of diaphragm sometimes amputated )
○​ Large salt glands behind the ■​ Low BCS or debilitated condition
eyes help excrete excess salt. ■​ Weakness and chronic starvation
●​ Physiology ○​ Management:
○​ Ectothermic: body temperature, ■​ Removal of entangling material by vet
metabolism, immunity and drug experts
metabolism depend on ■​ Stabilization and fluid therapy
environmental temperature ■​ Diagnostics - Blood & Radiography
○​ Adapted for prolonged diving by ■​ Medications
conserving Oxygen through the ■​ Wound cleaning and debridement
cardiac shunt (bypass blood ■​ Physiotherapy & laser therapy
flow) ■​ Surgical intervention (amputation in severe cases)
○​ Buoyancy is regulated mainly by lung function; lung disease or ■​ Removal of entangling material by vet experts
trauma can cause floating abnormalities ■​ Stabilization and fluid therapy
●​ Hematology ■​ Diagnostics - Blood & Radiography
○​ Nucleated RBCs and thrombocytes; ■​ Medications
manual blood smear evaluation is ■​ Wound cleaning and debridement
important ■​ Physiotherapy & laser therapy
○​ Preferred blood collection site: external ■​ Surgical intervention (amputation in severe cases)
jugular vein ( minimizes risk of ●​ Foreign Body Ingestion
hemodilution ) ○​ Sea turtles frequently ingest marine debris such as plastic bags,
○​ Main leukocytes include heterophils, fishing hooks, monofilament threads and other anthropogenic wastes
lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and ○​ This leads to secondary complications like obstruction, gastric
basophils infection or perforation
○​ Blood parameters are influenced by ○​ Signs:
species, temperature, season and health ■​ • Anorexia
status ■​ Weight loss / low BCS
●​ Veterinary Significance ■​ Constipation or GI obstruction
○​ Require species-specific approaches to ■​ Abnormal buoyancy
anaesthesia, diagnostics, treatment and ■​ Toxicity in severe cases
rehabilitation. ■​ Cloacal Prolapse
○​ Temperature plays a critical role in recovery ○​ Management:
and clinical outcomes. ■​ Stabilization and fluid therapy
~ Common Medical Emergencies ■​ Diagnostics - Blood, Radiography & CT scan
●​ Fishing Gear Entanglement ■​ Medications • Endoscopic retrieval when possible
○​ Fishing nets, ropes, and monofilament lines ■​ Surgical intervention
can become wrapped around the neck, ■​ Monitoring of gastrointestinal function
flippers or body of sea turtles

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 ●​ Buoyancy Syndrome/ Gas Emboli
○​ Buoyancy syndrome occurs when turtles lose the ability to maintain a
normal underwater position
○​ Causes include gastrointestinal disorders,
trauma and gas embolism associated with
fisheries interactions
○​ Decompression sickness (DCS)
■​ Extreme stress situation due to
entanglement
■​ Rapid ascent leads to trapping of
Nitrogen in the bloodstreams
■​ Accumulation of such bubbles in
different parts of the body affects
diving ability
○​ Signs:
●​ Boat or Propeller Strike ■​ Inability to dive
○​ Collisions with watercraft during feeding or migration ■​ Uneven floating posture
○​ This can cause shell fractures, deep ■​ Abnormal swimming patterns
lacerations, internal hemorrhage and ■​ Respiratory distress
trauma to vital organs ■​ Reduced feeding activity
○​ Signs: ○​ Management
■​ Shell fractures ■​ Diagnostics - Blood &
■​ Severe soft tissue wounds Radiography
■​ Hemorrhage ■​ Hyperbaric oxygen chamber
■​ Neurological deficits therapy
■​ Coelomic cavity penetration ■​ Treatment of underlying disease
○​ Management ■​ Targeted weight therapy
■​ Stabilization and fluid therapy ■​ Surgical removal of excess gas if
■​ Diagnostics - Blood & possible
Radiography ●​ Predator Attack
■​ Medications ○​ Predator attacks by sharks, crocodiles and
■​ Surgical intervention (Carapace/Plastron fixation) large predatory fish can result in extensive
■​ Oxygen therapy trauma
○​ Survivors often require prolonged veterinary
care and rehabilitation
○​ Signs:
■​ Bite wounds
■​ Missing portions of flippers
■​ Shell damage
■​ Secondary bacterial infection
○​ Management
■​ Stabilization and fluid therapy
■​ Diagnostics - Blood & Radiography
■​ Medications
■​ Surgical intervention
■​ Long-term rehabilitation & care

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 ●​ Chronic Debilitation Syndrome ~ Cold Stunning
○​ Chronic Debilitation Syndrome (CDS) is a multifactorial condition ●​ Cold-stunning is a hypothermic condition that occurs when sea turtles are
commonly observed in stranded juvenile and sub-adult sea turtles exposed to prolonged periods of cold water temperatures, typically below
○​ It develops gradually due to prolonged 10-15°C, depending on the species.
malnutrition, chronic disease, parasitism, ●​ As ectothermic animals, sea turtles rely on environmental temperatures to
environmental stressors or impaired feeding regulate their body functions.
ability ●​ Exposure to cold water causes a significant reduction in metabolism, leading to
○​ Debilitated turtles often present in poor body weakness, impaired organ function and potentially death if untreated.
condition and require intensive supportive care ●​ Not common in the coasts of the Philippines, as it falls under a tropical region.
and long-term rehabilitation ~ Important Diagnostics
○​ Signs: ●​ Blood Profile Analysis (POC)
■​ Marked weight loss and low BCS ○​ PCV (20-30%)
■​ Sunken eyes ○​ DLC (H:L~ 1 :1)
■​ Reduced swimming ability ○​ Uric Acid (< 2 mg/dL )
■​ Anaemia & weakness (low PCV ○​ Haemoglobin (6-12 g/dL)
count) ○​ Glucose (60-140 mg/dL)
■​ Epibiota overgrowth (barnacles, ○​ Total Solids (3-5.5 mg/dL)
algae, leeches) ●​ Radiography
■​ Hypoproteinemia and edema ○​ Dorsoventral
■​ Secondary infections ○​ Anterio-posterior
■​ Reduced appetite or anorexia ○​ Lateral
○​ Management ●​ Endoscopy
■​ Fluid therapy ●​ Ultrasonography & CT Scan
■​ Assisted feeding or O-tube placement in chronic conditions ●​ ABST (Antibiotic Sensitivity Testing / Antibiotic Sensitivity Test)
■​ Treatment of underlying infections Regular monitoring of ~ What Does Endangered Mean?
body weight and blood parameters ●​ Critically endangered – Facing an extremely high risk of extinction from the
■​ Long-term rehabilitation wild in the immediate future.
■​ Curable if detected at early stages ●​ Endangered species – An animal or plant species in danger of extinction
~ Fibropapillomatosis (FP) Tumors throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
●​ FP is a tumour-forming disease primarily affecting green sea turtles due to the ●​ Threatened species – An animal or plant species likely to become endangered
Herpes virus within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
○​ Tumours mainly grow around the eyes and flippers, which can affect ~ What Is Extinction & Why Is It Bad?
vision, feeding, swimming and overall survival ●​ Extinction – the last individual of a species dies and there are no more of that
○​ Relatively uncommon in Philippine coasts compared to global species on earth.
hotspots like Florida, Hawaii or Parts of the Caribbean ( as there is ○​ Each species of animal has its place and a specific role in the
very little ground for Green Sea Turtle nesting due to low foraging ecosystem.
ground ) ○​ Extinction of a species results in an imbalance in the ecosystem.
○​ Histopathological confirmation needed ○​ Scientific evidence reveals that we are in the midst of and largely
○​ No definitive treatment as of now responsible for the 6th and largest mass extinction in the earth’s
history.
●​ Endangered Species Act of 1973 – protects plants or animals that are listed by
the federal government as endangered or threatened.
○​ Provides a means to conserve the ecosystem upon which
endangered and threatened species depend, thus preventing
extinction

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 ○​ Can not harm, kill, or harass any sea turtle, nests, eggs, or
hatchlings. MARINE MAMMALS
○​ CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna & Flora) – Regulates and prohibits international trade of Evolution of Cetaceans (Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises)
plant & animal species that are threatened or endangered. ●​Evolved from terrestrial hoofed animals (Artiodactyls) during the Eocene Epoch
○​ Can not transport, sell, or trade any endangered species product. (ex: (56-33.9 MYA)
turtle shells, meat, or eggs) ●​Best documented evolutionary transitions in vertebrate history
●​ Conservation Goals
○​ Enforce laws against illegal poaching of sea turtles and their eggs Timeline of Cetacean Evolution
○​ Protect nesting beaches from armoring, artificial lighting, and Pakicetus (~56-53 MYA)
development through establishment of parks and refuges ●​Fully terrestrial; wolf-sized; ears beginning to adapt for underwater hearing
○​ Eliminate illegal international trade of sea turtles and their products Ambulocetus (~49-47 MYA)
○​ Reduce turtle deaths from commercial fishing and shrimping ●​"Walking whale"; amphibious; powerful swimmer using hind limbs
○​ Enforce local, national, and international laws to reduce dumping of Rodhocetus (~47-43 MYA)
pollution, solid waste and toxins into the ocean and sensitive sea ●​Mostly aquatic; shorter hind limbs; nostrils beginning to migrate backward
turtle habitats Basilosaurus (~41-34 MYA)
○​ Increase education and public awareness about sea turtle ●​Fully aquatic; tiny non-functional hind limbs; elongated body
conservation efforts and how the community can get involved. Dorudon (~40-33 MYA)
○​ Continued and increased research of sea turtle populations, their ●​Modern whale-like body; tail flukes; powerful swimming
habitats (nesting beach and in water migrations) and their behavior.
●​ Ways you can help sea turtles As Cetaceans evolved, their noses slowly moved up their head to eventually become
○​ Pick up trash at the beach and place in garbage can the blowhole.
○​ Volunteer for beach cleanups Whale evolution transformed land-dwelling, four-legged mammals into fully aquatic
○​ Buy turtle safe shrimp ocean swimmers, causing hind legs to shrink, detach from the spine, and eventually
○​ Hold onto your balloons disappear externally. Front limbs turned into flippers, while hind limbs reduced into tiny,
○​ Build sand castles near the water as they may obstruct nesting hidden vestigial structures
attempts or disorient hatchlings emerging from the nest.
●​ What to do if you see a turtle nesting Marine Mammals
○​ Stay clear of and out of the sight of the turtle. Your movement could ●​Land-dwelling ancestors
disturb the turtle and scare it back into the sea. ●​Have mammary glands for milk
○​ Do not shine your light at the turtle. ●​Have all 3 ear bones
○​ Do not take pictures with flashes as this will disorient the turtle and ●​Bear live young
cause it to abort the nest. ●​Warm-blooded
○​ Do not approach, touch, or ride the turtle. This is for your safety as ●​Breathe air
well as the turtle’s. ●​Have hair/fur
○​ Do not touch, take or handle turtle eggs. ●​Most of them have different kinds of teeth
○​ Do not destroy the tracks left by the turtle as they are important for ●​4 chambered hearts
researchers to help locate and protect the nest. ●​Highly developed brains
○​ Do enjoy the experience
~ BCS Where do they live?
●​ BCI = Weight (kg) / SCL^3 (cm) x 10,000; SCL = Straight Carapace Length ●​All over the ocean
●​Migrate based on seasons, breeding, and feeding cycles
●​Some live in the Arctic (Polar Bears)
●​Some live along the Pacific coast (Sea otters)
●​Some live in the West Indies (Dugongs)

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How do they Survive? ●​Rabies has been detected in Cape fur seals, marking a significant wildlife and public
●​Thermoregulation - adapt to changing water temperatures health concern.
●​Blubber - special thick layer of fat for energy storage ●​Since 2024, more than 100 confirmed rabies cases have been reported in Cape fur
●​Fur traps - layer of air next to the skin to keep it dry (like wetsuits) seals in South Africa and Namibia.
●​Vasodilation - controls body temperature by controlling blood flow ●​Evidence suggests that rabies transmission within the seal population began several
years before it was first detected, indicating sustained spread.
Main Categories of Marine Mammals ●​The outbreak is believed to have started from a single spillover event in which a
●​Carnivora dog-related rabies virus variant, maintained by black-backed jackals in southern
○​Mustelidae (Sea Otters) Africa, infected Cape fur seals.
○​Ursidae (Polar Bears) ●​The virus is now being transmitted between seals, representing the first known
○​Pinnipeds establishment of rabies in a free-ranging marine mammal population.
■​ Phocidae (True Seals) ●​Infected seals have shown neurological signs, including:
■​ Otariidae (Eared Seals) ○​Abnormal aggression toward humans and other animals
■​ Odobenidae (Walruses) ○​Behavioral changes consistent with rabies infection
●​Sirenians ●​As of May 2026, more than 145 human exposure incidents associated with rabid
○​Manatees seals had been reported, emphasizing the need for:
○​Dugongs ○​Prompt public health interventions
●​Cetaceans ○​Appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
○​Toothed Whales (Odontocetes) ●​The outbreak threatens wildlife conservation, as Cape fur seals:
○​Baleen Whales (Mysticetes) ○​Occur along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia
○​Travel long distances, increasing the risk of spreading the virus to other marine
CARNIVORA mammal species
●​Order Carnivora ●​The emergence of rabies in Cape fur seals demonstrates that pathogens can adapt
●​Prominent canine teeth to new host species.
●​Pinnipeds - large skin covered ●​The outbreak highlights the importance of a One Health approach, integrating
flippers surveillance and collaboration among:
○​Wildlife health
○​Domestic animal health
○​Human public health sectors

SIRENIA
●​Elephant-like ancestors
●​Herbivores
●​Manatees
○​Found in coastal areas of tropical Atlantic Ocean
●​Dugongs
○​Found in coastal areas of Indian and Western Pacific Ocean
○​Now confined to small and fragmented populations due to rapid decline caused
Harem - social grouping where a dominant male
by:
(alpha or beachmaster) controls a territory of
■​ Boat strikes
numerous females during the breeding season
■​ Destructive fishing practices
■​ Loss of seagrass meadows
Common in species like elephant seals, fur seals, and
○​Key habitats include:
sea lions.
■​ Palawan
■​ Guimaras Strait
■​ Parts of Mindanao

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CETACEA
●​Order Cetacea
●​Includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises
●​Stream-lined bodies and specialized skin structure for fast swimming
●​Adapted for deep diving
●​Use oxygen efficiently
○​Absorb 90% of oxygen inhaled (lots of capillaries)
○​Store large quantities of oxygen (lots of hemoglobin)
●​Muscles insensitive to carbon dioxide buildup
●​Collapsible lungs
●​Swim with strong tail and flukes

Key facts (differ between species)

Average life span: 10 to 50 years
Gestation: 10 to 17 months
Calving: can occur every 2 to 5 years, one calf at a time
Size: "typical" dolphins are about two m long and weigh 100 kg

-All dolphins are whales, but not all whales are dolphins-

SUBORDER Mysticetes (Baleen whales)

●​Fibrous plates of baleen sieve prey items
●​Eat lower on food chain, krill,, zooplankton
●​Vocalized sounds for various purposes, low frequency communications, travel large
(50 km) distances
●​Blue whale, Finback whale, Humpback whale, Gray whale, Right whale

SUBORDER Odontocetes (Toothed whales)

●​Dolphins, porpoises, Orcas (killer whales), sperm whale
●​Echolocation to determine distance and direction and size of objects

Dolphins
●​Teeth are cone shaped, and top and bottom teeth interlock
●​Melon-shaped head with a beak
●​Have dorsal fins
●​There are 36 species of dolphin, including bottlenose dolphin, Risso's dolphin, false
killer whale, Pacific whitesided dolphin, orca (killer whale), longfinned pilot whale,
shortfinned pilot whale, and Irrawaddy dolphin

Porpoises Whale Behavior

●​Have blunt heads and small spade-shaped teeth ●​Sperm whales surrounding an injured member of a pod
●​No beak and melon-shaped foreheads ●​Spying behavior of Killer Whales
●​Usually smaller than dolphin Dolphin Behavior
●​Porpoise species include the Harbor, Gulf of California, Burmeister's, Spectacled, ●​Dolphins seen carrying an injured Dolphin to the surface to breathe
Finless and Dall's porpoises

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Whales and Dolphins found in the Philippines Environmental Diseases
●​Mysticetes (Baleen Whales) (5) ●​Corneal Edema
○​Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) ●​Corneal ulcers
○​Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) ●​Foreign bodies
○​Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) ●​Gastrointestinal ulcers
○​Omura's Whale (Balaenoptera omurai) ●​Trauma
○​Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) ●​Oil Exposure
●​Odontocetes (Toothed Whales) (22) Natural Diseases
○​Sperm Whales ●​Neonatal nutrition
■​ Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) ●​Thiamine deficiency
■​ Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia breviceps) ●​Vitamin E deficiency (Steatitis, white fat disease)
■​ Dwarf Sperm Whale (Kogia sima) ●​Hyponatremia (Salt deficiency, Addison disease)
○​Beaked Whales ●​Histamine Toxicity (Scombroid Poisoning, Mackerel Poisoning)
■​ Cuvier’s (Ziphius cavirostris) Bacterial Diseases
■​ Blainville’s (Mesoplodon densirostris) ●​Actinomycetes
■​ Ginkgo-toothed (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) ●​Brucellosis
■​ Deraniyagala’s (Mesoplodon hotaula) ●​Clostridial Myositis
■​ Longman’s (Indopacetus pacificus) ●​Pneumonia
○​Dolphins and Oceanic Whales ●​Erysipelas (Diamond skin disease)
■​ Pantropical Spotted Dolphin (Stenella attenuate) ●​Leptospirosis
■​ Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) ●​Streptothricosis (Dolphin Pseudopox, Cutaneous Dermatophilosis)
■​ Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) ●​Mycobacteriosis
■​ Fraser’s Dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) ●​Mycoplasmosis
■​ Rough-toothed Dolphin (Steno bredanensis) Mycotic Diseases
■​ Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncates) ●​Aspergillosis
■​ Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) ●​Candidiasis
■​ Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) ●​Dermatophytosis
■​ Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) ●​Lobomycosis
■​ False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens) ●​Systemic Mycoses
■​ Melon-headed Whale (Peponocephala electra) ●​Zygomycetes
■​ Pygmy Killer Whale (Feresa attenuate) Parasitic Diseases
■​ Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) ●​Acanthocephalans
■​ Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) ●​Acariasis
●​Sirenians (Sirenia) (1) ●​Lungworm
○​Dugong (Dugong dugon) ●​Heartworm
●​Nematodiasis
Top 5 Marine Mammal Species that strand in the ●​Cestodiasis
Philippines ●​Trematodiasis
1.​ Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) ●​Coccidiosis
2.​ Dugong (Dugong dugon) ●​Sarcocystis
3.​ Fraser’s Dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei) ●​Toxoplasmosis
4.​ Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus)
5.​ Melon-headed Whale (Реропосеphala electra)

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Viral Diseases 4.​ Release
●​Adenovirus ○​Return the animal to its natural habitat once it meets release criteria
●​Calicivirus (San Miguel Sea Lion) ○​Release criteria:
●​Herpesvirus ■​ Clinically healthy
●​Influenza Virus ■​ Able to swim and dive normally
●​Morbillivirus ■​ Feeding independently
●​Poxvirus ■​ Normal hematology and biochemistry
Neoplastic Diseases ■​ Appropriate body condition
●​Tumors ■​ Suitable environmental conditions
5.​ Research
In marine mammal veterinary management, the 5 Rs are a practical framework used ○​Every rescue provides valuable scientific information
during strandings, rescue, rehabilitation, and release to guide veterinary ■​ Health assessments
decision-making. ■​ Disease surveillance
■​ Toxicology
The 5 Rs of Marine Mammal Veterinary Management ■​ Genetics
1.​ Rescue ■​ Tagging and satellite telemetry
○​Safely recover the stranded, entangled, or injured marine mammal. ■​ Population health monitoring
○​Ensure the safety of both responders and the animal. ■​ Necropsy findings from animals that do not survive
○​Perform an initial assessment (species, age class, body condition, injuries, ■​ Research improves future conservation and veterinary management
behavior). strategies.
○​Veterinary role:
■​ Primary triage
■​ Stabilization
5Rs Goal Veterinary Focus
■​ Minimize stress
■​ Maintain airway and thermoregulation
2.​ Resuscitation Rescue Safe retrieval Triage, stabilization, responder safety
○​Stabilize life-threatening conditions
○​Restore normal physiological function Resuscitation Stabilize patient Airway, fluids, shock, analgesia
■​ Maintaining a patent airway
■​ Hydration (oral, subcutaneous, or intravenous fluids when appropriate) Rehabilitation Recovery Medical treatment, nutrition, diagnostics
■​ Oxygen therapy if indicated
■​ Treatment of shock Release Return to the wild Fitness assessment, release criteria
■​ Pain management
■​ Wound care Research Improve Data collection, disease surveillance,
■​ Thermal support conservation necropsy
3.​ Rehabilitation
○​Provide comprehensive medical and supportive care until the animal can survive
independently
■​ Diagnostics (CBC, chemistry, imaging, microbiology)
■​ Nutrition and assisted feeding
■​ Physical therapy
■​ Infection control
■​ Monitoring weight and body condition
■​ Behavioral conditioning to maintain natural behaviors

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