Sea Turtles Released

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Thirteen sea turtles, an endangered species worldwide, have been released into the sea off Jejudo Island, which may become home to marine species that face extinction. Here’s more.

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Young sea turtles busily move their feet on sand. They do their best to get into the water. Grownup turtles also move with all their might.

[Soundbite] Hong Ye-jin (Tourist) : "I have never seen such a big turtle with my own eyes before. It's very exciting. I hope it will come back someday."

Thirteen sea turtles have been released into the ocean. They include turtles that were rescued from fishing nets, those that were brought to the country for research purposes, and those that were born through artificial incubation. The government launched the project to release sea turtles into the waters off Jejudo Island last year. That's because the oceans near Jejudo don't have many fishing nets. What's more, this area was found to be the final spawning ground of sea turtles in Korea in 2007. Sea turtles are facing extinction due to coastal development and ocean trash. The Korean government has designated four of the seven sea turtle species that are still found in waters off Korea as endangered marine species, and banned their poaching and sale. The preservation of sea turtles in the sea off Jejudo requires support from the public so that this marine species can feel at home again.