You can read what newspapers and magazines say about us in Reviews .
If you or a publication you’re writing for are interested, we have information and photographs available. Please see Media Information.
]]>The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA, February 19, 2006
“Playa Las Tortugas has become an example of what can be accomplished when the government, environmentalists, and private developers look beyond a quick fix and the quick buck that plague developing areas around the world ...”
Commencing in 1997 the developer of Playa Las Tortugas sponsored an environmental study, performed by the Scientific Investigations Department of the University of Nayarit, which was used to draft a document published in March 1998 called the “Ordenamiento Ecologico Semidetallado de la Cuenca Baja del Rio Otates, Nayarit”.
The study is a tool now used to forward environmental conservation and protection, currently helping us to promote protection of the adjacent mangrove estuary and turtle nesting habitat at a federal level.
The environmental study mentioned above also served as the base document of an urban development plan for our zone, sponsored by the developer of Playa Las Tortugas. By sponsoring an urban plan we were able to encourage lower density development of the surrounding area. The plan was signed into law, and later published in the state legal periodical during April 2005. The urban plan regulates development for over 5 kilometers (3 miles) of coastline and the adjacent 1783 hectares (4582 acres) of habitats.
Included as part of the urban plan study were demographics of the area including the two rural, primarily agricultural towns of “El Espino” and “Otates y Cantarranas” which form our community.
According to the results of the study the population had been in decline over the previous 15 years, by a total of some 17%, due to migration in search of jobs. At that time only about 29% of the total population was economically active, primarily in agriculture, livestock, and fishing.
In 2007 an agricultural or ranching field hand makes approximately $150 pesos per day, or less than $14 USD, making alternatives such as seeking work outside of Mexico more attractive. According to the 1990 census only 62% of persons above the age of 15 years were educated to the primary level, and even today it is not unusual that adults in our community remain without basic reading and writing skills. One of the means of raising standards of living is via education, another by creation of jobs, and the two go hand-in-hand.
In addition to responsible growth, Playa Las Tortugas looks forward to seeing a raised standard of living by providing employment and education opportunities to inhabitants of our rural area.
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]]>Your personal information will be used only as necessary for us to provide you with the highest level of service, such as to complete your rental reservation request or process your order for an item purchased in support of the Sea Turtle Conservation Camp, to address a problem you might bring to our attention, or to process a refund.
You will be charged only the amount agreed to, and receive exactly what you have ordered with no extra “fine print” charges.
If you experience a problem with a service or product we will respond to you personally and in a timely manner.
We are committed to safeguarding your privacy while visiting our website http://www.playalastortugas.com (the “Site”) or visiting the Playa LasTortugas property. Our goal is to provide you with an experience that delivers the information, resources and services that are most relevant to you. To achieve this goal, part of the operation of the Site includes the gathering of certain types of information about Site users. Because we understand that your privacy is important, we wish to explain the types of information we gather and the way in which we use it. This Privacy Policy applies to the Site.
This Privacy Policy covers two types of information gathered at the Site, personal and aggregated. The term “personal information” refers to data you voluntarily provide in connection with use of the Site that identifies you and/or the company on whose behalf you are accessing and using the Site. Personal information includes, e.g., data submitted in connection with our services, such as your name, e-mail address, phone number, company affiliation, physical address and/or certain other personal information. The term “aggregated data” refers to general information regarding visitors and users of the Site that relates to use of the Site, e.g., traffic patterns, number of visits to certain pages, visits from other web sites or to third-party web sites linked to the Site, use of particular services and interest in services, information or features of the Site or other parties made available through or found at the Site.
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We will take the utmost care to ensure that the personal information we obtain from you is not used in a way that you may be unaware of or not agreeable to. You may wish to submit an information request about us, participate in one of our promotions or subscribe to our e-mail or postal mail lists. In response, we may ask for information such as your name, email or postal address. In the event you opt to provide us with this information, we will only use it for the purpose specified by you on the information gathering form.
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If, after permitting use of your personal information, you later decide that you no longer want us to include you on its mailing list or otherwise contact you or use your personal information in the manner disclosed in this Privacy Policy or at the Site, simply tell us by sending an e-mail.
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We interested in improving the Site and may develop and offer new features and services. We monitor aggregated data regarding use of the Site for marketing purposes and to study, improve and promote use of the Site. In connection with such purposes, we may share aggregated data with third parties collectively and in an anonymous way. Disclosure of aggregated data does not reveal personal information about individual Site users in any way that identifies who they are or how to contact them.
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We have two exceptions to these limits on use of personal information:
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We may use cookies to collect and maintain aggregated data (such as the number of visitors) to help us see which areas are most popular with our users and improve and update the content on our site. While in the process of browsing our site, you also provide us with information that doesn’t reveal your personal identity—what type of destination you’re exploring, for example. We use this aggregated data only as explained in this Privacy Policy. We do not connect aggregated data to any name, address, or other identifying information.
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Use of the Site signifies your consent, as well as the consent of the company for whom you use the Site and whose information you submit (if any), to this on-line Privacy Policy, including the collection and use of information by us, as described in this statement, and also signifies agreement to the terms of use for the Site. Continued access and use of the Site without acceptance of the terms of this Privacy Policy relieves us from responsibility to the user.
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We want our website http://www.playalastortugas.com visitors to feel confident about using our Site to plan and purchase their accommodations, so we are committed to protecting the information we collect.
Policy Modifications & Contacting Playa Las Tortugas
Playa Las Tortugas reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time; notice of changes will be published on this page. Changes will always be prospective, not retroactive. If you have questions about our policies, please contact:
Playa Las Tortugas Contact Information:
Robert Turley Hancock Jr.
Playa Las Tortugas
The Playa Las Tortugas site has two types of menus, which are the top menus and side menus. The side menus are “sub menus” of the top menus.
The top menus are found at the top of every page, such as “ABOUT” or “BEACH RENTALS”. These top menus divide our site into major categories. You can access the contents of the top menus by placing your cursor over the top menu (category name) and then left-clicking or right-clicking your mouse one time.
If you place your cursor over “ABOUT” and left-click your mouse the introduction page for “ABOUT” will open.
If you place your cursor over “ABOUT” and right-click your mouse instead of left-clicking then you will see a number of options appear in a “pop-up” menu. The options in the “pop-up” menu include “Open in New Window” which means you can open the “ABOUT” category in a new browser window without closing this current window. Opening in a new browser window is a handy way to look at different pages without losing your place.
The “ESPANOL” category opens the Spanish version of our site in a new browser window automatically, without closing the English version of the site.
The side menus are found on the left hand side of every page except the “HOME” page. After you left-click on a top menu, the top menu major category will open with an introduction page and you will see the side menus on the left side of your computer screen. The side menus are sub-categories of the major category.
Now place your cursor over the side menu you wish to know more about, and left-click your mouse. A new page will open, and you may also see a new level of side menus appear on the left side of the page underneath the menu item you just clicked on.
Alternatively if you place your cursor over the side menu item and right-click your mouse instead of left-clicking then you will see a number of options appear. The options include “Open in New Window” which means you can open the side menu item in a new browser window without closing this window.
Move your cursor to the top of the page. Place your cursor over “ABOUT” and left-click your mouse. You will continue to see the top menus at the top of the page, while below them appears “ABOUT PLAYA LAS TORTUGAS”, and then “Warm Sand, Tropical Water, Blue Skies, Colorful Sunsets”. On the left side of the page you will see the side menus.
Place your cursor over and left-click on “Navigating our Web Site” to return to these instructions.
Now place your cursor over and RIGHT-click on “BEACH RENTALS”, move your cursor down the “pop up” menu to “Open in New Window”, and left-click your mouse. The “BEACH RENTALS” category will open in a new browser window, while this current page will also stay open.
Place your cursor over “The Villas” in the side menu and left or right click to open it or open in a new window. Now you will see another list of menu items under the side menu, which are the individual homes. You can then left or right-click on any of the homes to open that menu item.
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It’s easy to find your way from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport to Playa Las Tortugas, and you’ll find the roads are normally well-maintained. In Mexico the use of “speed-bumps” is customary in smaller towns, particularly around schools or popular pedestrian crossing spots, so watch for them and read the Printable Driving Directions for more specific locations. We also offer door-to-door transportation from the airport, and for more information please contact Gabriel .
The federal highway in front of the airport takes you three-quarters of the way to our door. Then you make a left in Las Varas on to the state highway that brings you to the turn-off for our road. Your scenic drive north is about two hours, leading you through areas of old-growth jungle, coastal hills, typical Mexican towns, to the sandy road that leads here.
As you leave the airport parking lot, turn left leaving the toll booth and then bear right instead of returning to the terminal. Follow the signs for COMPOSTELA, which will take you the opposite direction from Puerto Vallarta. Merge onto Highway 200 in the direction of COMPOSTELA (TEPIC and GUADALAJARA). If you find yourself exiting the airport by the shopping center, turn left at the light in front of the shopping center (only with a green arrow), making a u-turn away from Puerto Vallarta. Follow Highway 200 for 84 km to LAS VARAS.
The first 21 km of the road from Puerto Vallarta toward Playa Las Tortugas is a four-lane highway which then becomes a federal two-lane highway, that is gradually being expanded to four lanes.
There are now several stoplights along this highway, including where you pass by Playa Los Ayala, Rincon de Guayabitos, and in Las Varas. Approaching the town of LAS VARAS, move into the right access lane, turn left at the second stoplight, and head toward SAN BLAS.
Our guests occasionally miss the turn in LAS VARAS so please pay close attention. When approaching LAS VARAS, move into the far right access lane (where there’s a sign for ZACUALPAN) in order to make a left at the second stoplight, toward ZACUALPAN and SAN BLAS. The town of LAS VARAS has several stoplights. Turn at the second light when arriving from the direction of Vallarta and the airport.
For more exact directions including mileages / kilometers from Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, or Tepic/Mazatlan please click on the appropriate Printable Directions link in the left menu bar, just above. You can download or print the directions.
During 2008 and 2009 more than a dozen new 15 to 30-floor condominium buildings were constructed in the Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta areas. In December of 2009 construction continues as Mexico looks to the future.
The large marina at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle is complete, the “Four Seasons” complex on Punta de Mita continues to grow with an 18-building estate being built on the golf course by Tom Siebel’s group. The new resort area at Litibu near Sayulita is in advanced stages of construction.
Sayulita and San Francisco (San Pancho) have seen an explosion of tourism-related populations, while availability of beachfront development properties has virtually disappeared.
In December 2009 a new access road is under construction for the Punta Raza development which is located near the resort towns of Rincon de Guayabitos and La Penita de Jaltemba, more than one hour north of Puerto Vallarta.
During the next 5 to 10 years the state of Nayarit, Mexico, from its southern border with Puerto Vallarta up north to San Blas, is projected to see very strong growth in tourism-related real estate development.
Growth of our “Riviera Nayarit” area is due in a large part to a long-term “Tourism Corridor” program for Puerto Vallarta and the State of Nayarit, Mexico which was developed around the beginning of 2000 and is being instituted through the joint efforts of private enterprise in conjunction with local, state, and federal government agencies.
The “Tourism Corridor” plan focuses on transforming the coast of Nayarit north of Puerto Vallarta up to San Blas into a sustainable tourism destination, branded as the “Riviera Nayarit”.
The portion of Nayarit included in the plan is from Nuevo Vallarta to San Blas, including the municipalities of Bahia de Banderas (Bay of Banderas), Compostela, and San Blas. The total area considered by the plan in Nayarit is approximately 118,000 hectares or 303,000 acres.
Mexico’s national department for tourism development, FONATUR, the agency responsible for spear-heading development of Los Cabos, Cancún, Loreto, Huatulco and Ixtapa, is providing considerable support to help insure success of the Nayarit “Tourism Corridor” plan. The strong growth of our Nayarit area is reminescent of what transpired in other successful major tourism areas of Mexico where FONATUR previously focused their resources.
The versions of illustrations of the tourism corridor plan that follow are from the original plan published in 2002. You will see that many of the projects forecasted have been started, and some completed.
Playa Las Tortugas”, in its setting of 4 kilometers of coconut palm groves, is found in the heart of the rapidly growing “Riviera Nayarit”. A significant level of new development is occurring within the “Tourism Corridor” area, and projects are being announced at an ever increasing pace. Please click on the image below to see project locations.
Over the next 5 to 7 years there will be at least two very important tourism markets looking to enjoy the beaches of Nayarit.
While millions of “baby boomers” from northern climates of North American and European countries are searching for their spot on the warm, sunny coasts of Mexico, there is also a burgeoning middle and upper-middle class in Mexico flexing their buying-power via increasingly competitive mortgage loans and interest rates.
The “Tourism Corridor” plan initially employs Puerto Vallarta, a traditional beach vacation center (CTP) with its international airport, to “jump-start” development of the first “Integral Tourism Projects” (PTI’s).
There are six initial PTI’s that comprise the most important areas to be developed, numbered as “PTI-1” through “PTI-6”. Two of the PTI’s (1 and 6) are made up of multiple locations.
Integral Tourism Project (PTI) 1
“PTI-1” includes Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta and Flamingos Vallarta projects, already well-advanced, and the expansion of the Puerto Vallarta International (PVR) Airport.
The airport expansion was in process for several years and is now complete. First a raised section of highway was installed to provide room below for better access, then a new departures check-in section was added to the terminal, and in 2008 a new set of gates and jetways (Terminal B) was completed. The plan also calls for future addition of another runway.
Integral Tourism Projects (PTI) 2 and 3
“PTI-2” is the area on the north shore of Banderas Bay between Bucerias and Punta Mita including the La Cruz de Huanacaxtle’s new marina. “PTI-3” is Punta de Mita, also well advanced with its world-class “Four Seasons” resort, St. Regis resort, and other new resorts coming on line in 2009 and 2010.
Integral Tourism Project (PTI) 4
The “PTI-4” includes an area just 18 kilometers south of “Playa Las Tortugas” known as “Boca Chila”. Numerous parcels of land have already been purchased by investors in the Boca Chila area and consolidated so that a development of significant size can be carried out. Adjacent to “Boca Chila” is Chacala and the “Marina Chacala” project where ocean front and ocean view lots have been developed and several homes from $1,800,000 to $2,500,000 USD have been constructed.
Integral Tourism Project (PTI) 5
“PTI-5” is the “Lima de Abajo - Puerta de la Lima” area, north of Guayabitos/La Penita and south of Las Varas. This PTI includes Punta Naranjo, Boca el Naranjo, and Playa el Naranjo. In 2009 FONATUR is actively working on development of the “PTI-5”, which includes resort hotel and residential properties accompanied by golf and other recreation activities.
The acces road from Federal Highway 200 has been paved down into the development area, and a new high-speed federal highway is approved (with the first section funded) to link Nayarit beaches in this area with the international highway, Guadalajara, and other inland cities.
This new highway connection to Puerta de la Lima will originate from the four-lane international highway near Jala (Jala is between Tepic and Guadalajara on the four-lane toll road) and terminate at Highway 200 near Puerta de la Lima.
The new highway will make for easy beach access from large metropolitan areas such as Guadalajara (more than 4 million population), Aguascalientes (more than 750,000 inhabitants), Leon (Leon-Silao more than 3 million residents) and other important inland cities, opening Nayarit beaches to Mexico’s growing middle and upper-middle classes. You can see the approximate highway location in the above plan, departing from Puerta de la Lima and headed right (east) just underneath the “SSR” label, as well as below. The illustration below originated from a file generated by the Secretary of Communications and Transport.
Integral Tourism Project (PTI) 6 Litibu/Punta Raza/Platanitos
“PTI-6” includes Litibu (well-advanced), Punta Raza (first world-class five-star hotels under construction in June 2008 and to include a marina & golf), an area north of Platanitos which is still in planning stages with some properties destined, and Jolotemba where there is a development project underway.
Above is another view of a portion of the proposed “Riviera Nayarit” tourism corridor plan, with Playa Las Tortugas seen at the upper side, that includes the PTI’s 4, 5, and 6 (Punta Raza). The dashed line encloses the “CIP” (Integrally Planned Center) and indicates an area of proposed major development, with three specific subareas denoted by “PTI-4”, “PTI-5” and “PTI-6” circles, and the town of Las Varas in a circle “SSR” (Subregional Services) as a center for employee housing and employee or tourism services.
Development is generally arriving from the south towards the north, or from bottom to top of the proposed plan. Currently under development are “Marina Chacala” and “Punta Raza”, as well as “Playa Las Tortugas”.
The plan provides for protection of the turtle-nesting habitat on beaches between Platanitos (Playa Las Tortugas) and Chacala, as well as protection of the estuary bordering Playa Las Tortugas as a “protected natural area”.
Note that the long-term plan also provides for an airport between Zacualpan and the coast, about 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) south of Playa Las Tortugas. There is an existing paved 1000 meter runway between La Penita and Lima de Abajo which is proposed to be extended to 1500 meters, in order to service a variety of private craft and smaller jets with capacities possibly up to 40 passengers. It is assumed that this runway will be expanded in time to help service the new Punta Raza development.
A new development was announced in late 2007 at “Punta Raza” between Monteon and Los Ayala, just south of Guayabitos.
“Punta Raza” is located on the beach, 58 kilometers (36 miles) north of the Puerto Vallarta (PVR) International Airport and only 52 kilometers (32 miles) south of Playa Las Tortugas.
The developer is “C&C Capital” which is a consortium of successful Mexican companies dedicated to development of luxury tourism projects. They announced the “Punta Raza” project on November 7th, 2007 having acquired the land in November of 2006.
The first phase of development in “Punta Raza” contemplates installation of the roads and accesses, and also construction of two hotels which are the Gran Hyatt and Park Hyatt, a golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., and some residences.
Ultimately the project will have up to 6 luxury hotels, 950 residences, the golf course, and a 250-slip marina. The residential prices are expected to range from $500,000 to $2,000,000 USD. Carlos Brockmann, vice president of “C & C” says that now it is almost impossible to put together tracts of land this large [in the area].
This means we’ll see world-class golf within an hour of PLT. The new “Punta Raza” project, along with others in the quickly developing “Riviera Nayarit” will help make an investment at PLT more attractive financially.
Another positive result of the “Punta Raza” project is that there is a proposed alternate route from Puerto Vallarta to Monteon. This alternate route will likely cut travel time from the PV airport bat least 20 minutes or more. The projected route leaves the four-lane north of the airport just before the Flamingo’s golf course and intersects the two-lane highway just south of Monteon, some 5-minutes south of Guayabitos.
The executive project (surveying and planning) is under way for a new highway which is proposed to run from near the Flamingos golf club outside of Puerto Vallarta to Highway 200 near “Punta Raza”. This highway will help save driving time to Playa Las Tortugas, by making a more direct route and avoiding coastal traffic bound for Punta Mita, Sayulita, San Pancho, and other points prior to Monteon. The developers of “Punta Raza” are helping to move the project forward.
A number of highway projects are proposed or in-process for the greater Puerto Vallarta - Riviera Nayarit area. Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit would both like to encourage more tourism from Guadalajara and Leon, where over 7 million live. Also, most retail and wholesale products come to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit either via Guadalajara or down the coast from the north. The international highway from Nogales to Guadalajara is now practically 100% four-lane highway.
The Secretary of Communications and Transport (SCT) has a number of projects in or near completion of their design phases, including projects which will provide better highway access from Puerto Vallarta to Guadalajara. Three proposals address an alternate route from the greater Puerto Vallarta area to a point just south of Rincon de Guayabitos, a bypass around Guayabitos and La Penita up to Puerta de la Lima, and a route from Puerto de la Lima to Jala (Tepi - Guadalajara highway). You’ll see the bypass indicated in the PTI-6 Punta Raza plan, from Monteon to just above La Penita. The new route from Puerto Vallarta to Monteon is indicated in the “CTP” plan, though that route is expected to be modified somewhat. Some of these highway projects may initially be funded with money from the private sector, operated as toll roads, and then sold to the federal government at a later date.
The Nayarit state government is also encouraging a number of highway improvement projects, some of which are already being built, and some of which have topography and construction plans completed. Many of the proposed projects are targeted at helping increase access for tourism.
In 2009 there is a project underway building a highway from Tepic to Matanchen which will reduce driving time to under 30 minutes, further opening the Nayarit coast to the populations of Guadalajara, Leon, and other large inland cities.
On some nights there are thousands of hatchlings to return to the ocean. For many of our visitors, going on turtle patrol and releasing the newly-hatched baby turtles is the highlight of their stay. On the night of August 31st, 2007 a new record was established when 106 female turtles came up to lay nests, and 89 nests were collected with more than 8000 eggs. The nests were collected by personnel from the Camp including Veterinarian Miguel Angel Flores Peregrina, Carlos Rios Chavez, and people from the community participating in a special program. The previous record for one night was 42 nests during 2005, and 36 nests during 2000. This is very strong evidence that the efforts of the turtle conservation project are having a positive effect on the sea turtle population.
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The Sea Turtle Conservation Camp is dedicated to educating especially the children—to teach them the importance not only of sea turtles but all creatures on our earth. The Camp staff, working on behalf of Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Areas, reaches out to the neighboring local schoolteachers and students and has already begun to to educate them on environmental issues. Volunteers and visitors to the Camp also have the opportunity to learn how they can help protect sea turtles.
Eco-tourism is one of the fastest growing aspects of the travel industry. The Turtle Camp offers the possibility to eco-tourists of learning about the work performed by the Camp, participating in patrol of the beach to gather nests, helping to prepare nests for release, and the release of hatchlings.
As the Camp grows, they plan to invite professionals to teach educational programs.
Sea Turtles are vertebrates belonging to the Reptile class and Chelonidae family. They are policotherms and ectotherms, so their body activity is dependent on the ambient temperature, and so for this reason the turtles are distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the world.
There are three species of sea turtle that nest on this beach, with the Olive Ridley being predominant.
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Spanish name: Tortuga Golfina
Latin Name: Lepidochelys Olivacea
Status: Endangered
Average Size: 66 cm long and 41 kg
Special Features: Most abundant of all sea turtles
Nesting Period: July to December
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Spanish Name: Tortuga Carey
Latin Name: Eretmochelys Imbricata
Status: Endangered
Average Size: 91 cm long and 64 kg
Special Features: Its beak is sharp, shaped like a hawk’s beak for feeding on hard coral
Nesting Period: June to July
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Spanish name: Tortuga Laud.
Latin Name: Dermochelys Coriacea
Status: Endangered.
Average Size: 178 cm long and 590 kg.
Special Features: Their top shell does not have scales like the other sea turtles; it is soft and leathery with five ridges running from front to back.
Nesting Period: December to February
Life in the Sea
Sea turtles pass the majority of their life in the sea. Studies using satellite-tracking devices have demonstrated that on average a sea turtle remains 0.03 % of its life cycle on land for reproductive activities and the other 99.97 % of the time is spent in the sea. Of course, this is only the case for the females; the males never leave the sea. The majority of studies on the sea turtles, however, have centred on the time spent on the beach. Therefore, there is still little understood about the mechanisms of orientation and navigation in the open sea through which the Olive Ridley sea turtles return to the same beach on which they were born to nest, migrating 1000’s km between their feeding grounds to these nesting beaches.
There are several proposed mechanisms of orientation and navigation for the Olive Ridley sea turtles:
• Chemo sensitivity: The ability to detect very small concentrations of chemicals from the nesting beach in the water. Indeed this phenomenon has been demonstrated in the Green turtles (Chelonia mydas).
• Wave Sensitivity: The ability to utilize geo-magnetic fields of the Earth, distinguishing between maximum and minimum fields in the bottom of the ocean that occur in areas of dispersion of the marine plates. This idea is supported by the knowledge that nesting beaches are situated in areas of energy discharge and elevated magnetism.
• Genetics: Studies on the DNA of a population of Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) that nest exclusively on Ascension Island have shown homologies between the DNA of this population that are different to other colonies of Green sea turtles.
Feeding and Nutrition
Olive Ridley sea turtles are facultative carnivores. They will feed on whatever is available, and studies in Mexico assessing the stomach contents of these animals have demonstrated a varied diet of fish, jellyfish, crustaceans, molluscs, algae, fish eggs and marine maggots.
Reproduction
This species of sea turtle usually migrates along the continental platforms, feeding in shallow waters, and converging in the summer and autumn for nesting on beaches in tropical continents. Olive Ridley sea turtles reach sexual maturity at 7 to 9 years old, and approximately 60 % of the population nest annually, 29 % every 2 years and 11 % every 3 years, the frequency being affected by the amount of food available and the distance of migration between feeding and reproductive grounds.
At the start of the nesting period, the groups congregate and direct themselves towards their respective nesting beaches; initially the females arrive, shortly followed by the males. Sexual reproduction generally occurs near the nesting areas. The male embraces and holds the female strongly below him, utilizing his anterior fins and in moderation his posterior fins, his penis protrudes from his tail and is inserted into the female, and they remain in this way for 2 hours. One female can mate with many males before moving to the beach for egg laying.
Nesting
After mating the females move to the nesting beach to lay their eggs. The nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles can be divided into the following phases.
1. Emergence
The sea turtles emerge from the water, encountering the beach, and search for a nesting site.
2. & 3. Excavation
Turtles dig a ditch in which the eggs will be laid. Initially, (stage 2.) all the fins are used to form the ditch, and in the final phases (stage 3.) the form and depth is achieved using the posterior fins in a manner of small shovels for digging and compacting the sand.
4. Egg Laying
Whilst egg laying, the turtles remain immobile and can be measured or marked and eggs can be collected by man. The eggs fall into the hole in groups of 2 or 3 eggs at regular intervals accompanied by protective mucus, which contains an active anti-bacterial agent. During this phase the anterior fins of the turtle are totally extended and the posterior fins are gracefully extended flanking the mouth of the nest. Each Olive Ridley sea turtle lays an average of 105 eggs per nest. Each egg is white, about 40 mm in diameter and 39 g in weight; they look very similar to table tennis balls.
5. Covering Up
After the egg laying is completed, the females commence to cover up the nest, introducing and compacting sand with its posterior fins and throwing at the same time sand with its anterior fins. Finally, the turtle compacts the whole nest with its whole body weight, producing a peculiar sounds in the beach. Before leaving the female walks several times over the nest, hiding the tracks and the exact location of the site.
6. The Return
At the end of the process the female returns to the sea. The average duration of the process for the Olive Ridley species is about 1 hour.
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The most important Camp goal is to increase the number of nests harvested each year while maintaining a high rate of incubation, thereby helping to replenish the sea turtle population.As shown by results over the last 11 years, the Turtle Camp is having a positive influence on the sea turtle population, and with your help the results can get even better.
Please note that there are nesting cycles which seem to span several years and therefore results typically rise over a period of years and not necessarily annually; also, results can be affected by the funding available in certain years.
The overall rate of incubation for the 11 year period from 1995 to 2005 is 78% !!
Our long-range goal is to have the Camp continually staffed year-round. While sea turtle conservation is currently the principal concern, having a full staff year round would allow the Camp to work on added preservation projects such as protection of waterfowl and other inhabitants of the adjacent mangrove-filled estuary during the months when turtles are not nesting. We would like to see the Camp become a self-sustaining center for wildlife conservation, education and investigation, particularly regarding the marine turtle; with adequate fiscal and human resources to protect the surrounding natural resources via a network of volunteer, educational, and ecotourism programs.
Other Camp goals include to enhance the technical sea turtle programs. To this end it need funds for: nest storage and monitoring equipment for the incubation areas; tagging equipment; and sponsorship of several volunteers to work in the Camp who can not pay their own costs. The University of Guadalajara and “Selva Negra” (a non-profit organization sponsored in part by the singing group “Mana”) have both been helping with volunteers and “Selva Negra” also assists with some funding, food and supplies.
To reach these goals the Camp seeks volunteers, and donations from individuals, companies, and foundations via the world wide web, mailings, and personal networking.
Please help by becoming a volunteer or by making Donations to provision the Camp, sponsor a volunteer, or allow the Camp to purchase needed equipment.
On the 4th of July, 2002 the “Escuela Telesecundaria” (secondary school with classes mainly given via television) of Otates y Cantarranas celebrated the graduation of its Class of 2002. There were a total of 14 graduates, including eight girls and six boys, completing the equivalent of what we might call junior high school in the United States.
Of the 14 graduates, only six (all girls) went on to the next level called “preparatory school,” equivalent to senior high school in the U.S. The boys had gone in search of work, having reached the age of 14 or 15 years and under pressure from their families and peers to help with the cost of maintaining the family. Some went to work as helpers for their fathers as brick and stone masons, while others work mostly as field and ranch hands earning possibly $150 pesos per day with typically no health or other benefits. To the best of our knowledge, only three students from the previous graduating class of 2001 had continued their studies.
Many families in Otates y Cantarranas subsist on an income of some $900 to $1000 pesos per week, slightly less than $400 USD per month or $4800 USD per year. Since there is no preparatory school (senior high school) in Otates, any student who wishes to continue his or her education must attend a school no closer than some five miles away. The family has to pay for transportation and meals away from home for the student, as the school system does not. This can place a back-breaking burden on the family, as costs of transportation and meals alone for one student range between $150 and $250 pesos per week, equaling possibly 25% to 30% or more of a household income.
With a desire to further education and opportunities for the people of Otates, on May 18th, 2003 the Developer of Playa Las Tortugas, in conjunction with Playa Las Tortugas property owners, embarked on a program to help send more students from Otates to further their education. Initially, the idea was to try and fund all of the costs of a student such as school uniforms, tuition, transportation, lunch, books, and supplies. Over time it became apparent that more students could be helped to continue their education by subsidizing just the cost of transportation and lunch. This new approach also helped assure that the students (and their families) who were really interested in continuing their education were the students we would subsidize.
The grant program started providing the amount of $140 pesos weekly to nine students: eight girls and one boy. By August 24th, 2003, the program was helping 12 students attend classes, and in January of 2004 we had 13 students enrolled in three different “preparatory schools” including agricultural, general studies, and technical classes.
During 2004, one of our students began attending the University of Nayarit. Since 2004 we have maintained from nine to twelve students and today two of those students are attending the University of Nayarit.
As of July 2008, participants of the grant program had donated some $38,000 USD over the course of about four and one half years.
The basic cost of providing transportation for one student throughout a year of school is about $790 USD, so our goal is to help 14 students by raising at least $11,060 USD for the 2008 - 2009 school year. To qualify to receive funding each student is required, amongst other requirements, to provide a copy of their current enrollment letter from the school, a copy of their grade reports each quarter or semester as issued, and maintain at least a GPA of 8.0 (equal to approximately a “B” average in the U.S.).
A number of the Playa Las Tortugas owners participating during 2007 - 2008, and we hope to see others from nearby “touristic” developments help the kids in our neighboring community to receive a better education.
A special thanks goes out to Robert Norton, Michael and Pat McDonnell, Dave and Cheri Werbeck, Mark and Carol Shaff, Bob and Jann Lobb, Brad and Michelle Hoover, Rob Hancock and Karen Nelson, who have all sponsored least one student during 2007 and 2008 school years.
You can add your name to the list if you wish, by donating to this worthy effort.
We accept donations for student education grants with “MasterCard”, “Visa”, or “American Express” credit cards. You will receive a copy of your donation receipt via e-mail, however we will not contact you or place your e-mail address on any mailing or other list. Please see more below about our privacy policy.
To make a donation on-line for student education grants, please click on the button below. You will be transferred to a secure server and asked to enter your donation information.
At Playa Las Tortugas the privacy and confidentiality of our website visitors’ information is of utmost importance. We are committed to maintaining the privacy and security of your personal information. Playa Las Tortugas will not disclose identifiable user information to any third party except at your written request. Your personal information will not be sold, bartered, or otherwise delivered to any “spam” mailing list or other type of list. For more details about our Privacy Policy, please click on this link to Privacy Policy.
]]>During 1997, the developer of Playa Las Tortugas began sponsoring an environmental study performed by the Scientific Investigations Department of the University of Nayarit, which concluded in March 1998. The study, amongst other things, has served as the base document of an urban development plan for our zone called “The Program of Urban Development of the Locality of Platanitos, Municipality of Compostela, Nayarit.
This urban development plan was sponsored by the developer of Playa Las Tortugas in conjunction with the municipal and state public works offices and voted into law at the municipal level on November 26, 2004. Then on April 13, 2005 it was published at state level in the Official Periodical of the Government of the State of Nayarit. Copies of this development law are available from the state office of the “Periodico Oficial” in the capital of Tepic, Nayarit.
One of the basic necessities for the agriculture and ranching industry is access to their farming and grazing parcels. In the past many parcels in this area were not easily accessible due to a lack of road material such as gravels to stabilize the mostly dirt roads, making it difficult to plant, till, and harvest crops or feed and water livestock.
In order to have year-round access to Playa Las Tortugas, from 1998 through 2002 the developer made a number of road improvements to the primary agricultural road including construction of a small bridge which also aided access to some 25 farming parcels.
In April of 2003, the Playa Las Tortugas developer, in conjunction with the community of Otates y Cantarranas, entered in to the first of several agreements with the Municipality (county) of Compostela for joint road improvement projects. In Mexico funds are sometimes made available to communities by municipal and state governments for infrastructure improvements, however the community must pay a portion of the overall improvement cost in order to receive the balance of the funding. Typically the cost of participation for the community is 10% to 20% of the project total. During 2003, 2004, and 2005, the developer of Playa Las Tortugas paid the participation cost of several projects, of which at least 50% of each project was destined solely to benefit roads not used to access the development.
For the April 2003 road project, access to 13 farming parcels was improved via the installation of over 2 kilometers of road material in secondary crop roads, that connect directly to the farming parcels from the primary road. Another 1.5 kilometers of material was layed on primary roads through the agricultural areas. Then between July and November 2003 the developer invested in an additional 174 truckloads of road base in the primary road, without participation of other parties in the costs.
In 2004 approximately 12 kilometers of primary and secondary road were re-graded, and road base material added as needed for leveling of the roads.
During July of 2005, there were about six kilometers of road material shared equally between the primary road and a number of secondary crop roads, and some 10 kilometers of roadway was re-graded, with the developer of Playa Las Tortugas sharing in 25% of the overall project cost.
In 2005, several property owners of Playa Las Tortugas also participated with funding for road improvements and in 2006, the developer again repaired and graded approximately nine kilometers of the primary road without financial participation of other parties.
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