Great news from the Royal Resorts security staff who steadfastly watch over the sea turtles round the clock throughout the summer and fall. Staff and guests have already released 890 baby turtles at The Royal Mayan, The Royal Caribbean, The Royal Islander and The Royal Sands and they will be helping many more on their way in the weeks to come. And the adult female turtles are still arriving to lay their eggs. According to the latest report on August 5, there are now 371 sea turtle nests with a total of 43,157 eggs in the protected enclosures at The Royal Mayan, The Royal Caribbean, The Royal Islander and The Royal Sands.
We hope that many more turtles will come ashore during the warm summer nights to lay their eggs in the sand, and of course we are all eagerly awaiting the birth of more baby turtles as the season progresses.
Stay posted for more updates in the days to come and if you are staying with us during the summer, please join us in protecting these beautiful creatures by following these guidelines.
If you see a turtle on the beach:
* Alert the security staff.
* Be very quiet and keep still
* Watch from a distance (five meters) and do not attempt to touch the turtle or crowd her.
* Do not shine a torch in the turtle’s direction or use your flash when taking pictures.
* If
you bring your children to help release the hatchlings, make sure that they follow instructions and please, no flash photography.
* No smoking
If the turtle is frightened by loud noises, too many people and bright lights, she will leave the beach without nesting and may even lay her eggs in the water, thus losing the entire clutch (90 to 110 eggs).
Under Mexican law it is illegal to persecute and hunt sea turtles or steal their eggs
The Quintana Roo coast is one of the world’s most important nesting areas for the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and also welcomes the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the occasional leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), the largest and rarest of the world’s eight turtle species.
Each summer, biologists, hotel staff, soldiers and volunteers participate in the statewide turtle conservation campaign. They patrol beaches in Cancun and Puerto Morelos, the Riviera Maya (including beaches such as Akumal and Xcacel), Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve where turtles come ashore and are on the lookout as they emerge from the sea and struggle up the beach to dig their nests in the sand. Their presence helps deter poachers and keeps predators such as dogs, raccoons, seabirds and crabs away from the nests and eggs.
Royal Resorts is proud to participate in this important campaign year after year. It has been protecting turtles in Cancun since 1985. Formal record keeping began at the resorts in 1998 and to date, it has protected 4,797 turtle nests and released 367,377 hatchlings. 2011 was a record-breaking year with a tally of 581 sea turtle nests and 61,499 babies and we hope that 2012 will be equally fruitful.
