“Discover Sea Turtle Nesting Season in Quintana Roo!”

The "San Martin" Turtle Camp in Cozumel, Mexico, has reported a total of 216 nests so far this season. Of these, 158 belong to the Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and 58 to the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas).

The Sea Turtle Protection Program runs annually from May 15th to November 15th. This initiative has been in place since 1987, with the aim of preserving the two species that nest on the island – the Green and Loggerhead turtles. Both species are currently endangered.

Germán Yáñez Mendoza, Deputy Director of Ecology, shared that the turtles have faced some challenges this year. High temperatures in May resulted in dry sand, which hindered proper nesting. Additionally, constant rainfall and high tides affected several nests, particularly those of the Loggerhead turtles. Despite these setbacks, the number of Green turtle nests has been on the rise.

The San Martin camp is situated in the eastern part of the island. It operates under a non-extractive utilization permit and houses facilities built on Mezcalitos Beach since 2023. These are used for environmental education, equipment storage, and as a workspace for staff and field technicians.

The Sea Turtle Protection Program consists of three stages. The first involves night-time monitoring and marking of nests. The second stage is nest cleaning and hatchling rescue. The final stage is the release of the hatchlings. All these activities are supervised by the Sub-directorate of Ecology, with support from organized groups such as Community Guardians “Kanan K’aax”, Cozumel Conservation, Research and Environmental Management (CIMAC), MaB youth, Aviomar, Environmental Promoter S.A. (PASA), the Hotel Association, and government agencies.

As part of the environmental education efforts, children aged 10 and over are invited to participate in nest cleaning and hatchling release activities.