Save the Sea Turtles
Guests and owners at Playa Las Tortugas are blessed with the rare opportunity to work alongside veterinarians and biologists of Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Areas (CONANP) in protecting endangered Olive Ridley and Hawksbill sea turtles. Sea turtles arrive to this beach between June and December to nest, hatch, and return to the ocean. Personnel of Mexico’s federal environmental department (SEMARNAT the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources), along with volunteers that include students and tourists, patrol the beach at night to harvest and protect turtle eggs and also release hatchlings.
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.
Sea turtles need our help.
Decades of commercialized hunting of the now endangered sea turtles for meat, eggs, and shells, have seriously diminished their numbers.
While man is clearly responsible for the sea turtle’s place on the infamous “endangered” list, there are few creatures on earth who experience such low survival rates—a mere 1% to 2% normally reach adulthood. The Sea Turtle Conservation Camp at Playa Las Tortugas is committed to improving the odds.
México is fortunate to be host to a majority of the species of sea turtles. Three species come to nest here on the Costa Tortuga, 70 miles north of Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast. The Turtle Camp provides an opportunity to witness and participate in a variety of natural wonders such as the incredible rush to the sea by the baby turtles.
