Tourists helped to release newborn sea turtles into the sea in the Philippines.

Footage shows holidaymakers gathering at the beach in front of a resort to witness newly hatched marine mammals return to the ocean in El Nido, Palawan, on February 5.

The tiny shelled animals poured out of a basin and raced towards the water from the shore.

Visitor Gena Hufnagel, who lives in Barcelona, Spain, said: 'We went for the first time to a turtle sanctuary at Duli Beach Resort. We got to watch baby turtles be released into the ocean.'

Several species of sea turtles are endangered or critically endangered, according to the IUCN Red List, facing threats from habitat loss, pollution, and illegal hunting.