Illegal Construction Threatens Turtle Nesting Site in Adamar Solimán-Law Violations Exposed

In November last year, construction began on a project within a 730 square meter lot, situated between a turtle nesting beach on the east and mangroves on the west. This project commenced without any environmental or construction permits. As recent as May, workers from the real estate project violated the construction closure seals. The legal action taken is against an individual who continued building in the area, a development that had already broken the law by proceeding with the work. This is yet another instance of environmental damage in the area adjacent to Tankah IV bay, opposite Solimán, in the municipality of Tulum, a significant turtle nesting area and one of the last bastions of natural resources.

The project, known as Adamar Solimán, is a seven-story building with 24 apartments near the town of Akumal. Both state and federal governments have confirmed that the necessary authorizations have not been granted. José Guillermo Urbina Bravo, a member of the non-governmental organization Defending the Right to a Healthy Environment (DMAS), expressed his frustration, stating, "Enough of this type of development in Quintana Roo because they sacrifice the environment in pursuit of a tiny benefit for a small group of people!"

Urbina Bravo, who is also a cave diver and a member of the collective Save me from the Train, insists that "protecting turtles is an example that we must expand to all our natural resources. That's what environmental laws are for, and not respecting them is a betrayal of all environmental treasures, of all forms of life." Solimán Bay is a crucial turtle nesting area and one of the last strongholds of natural resources. It is located about five kilometers south of the Xcacel Xcacelito sanctuary, a state-protected natural area, home to five types of vegetation.

The area still has coastal dunes, coastal shrubs, mangroves, low deciduous forests, and secondary vegetation. It is also home to several threatened species, such as the White turtle (Chelonia mydas) and Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), which find the beaches of Tulum perfect for their nesting and spawning. The environmental activist announced via a video on DMAS' networks that the state government, through the Ministry of Urban Sustainable Territorial Development (Sedetus), has not issued a certificate of territorial compatibility. Furthermore, in January 2024, the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) clarified that it has not extended the respective Environmental Impact Manifestation (MIA). "We cannot allow private interests to risk our right to a healthy environment. Protecting the jungle, the dune, the mangroves, and the reef is protecting our way of life. We have to understand that we do not live from tourism, but from the wealth of our natural resources," stated the speleologist.