After several sightings and sleepless nights at Royal Resorts, the sea turtles, our special summer visitors from the sea, have begun to lay their eggs. The 2015 turtle season is underway and we now have four nests in the corrals at The Royal Sands, five at The Royal Caribbean in Cancun and two nests at Grand Residences Riviera Cancun to the south of Puerto Morelos.
From May to September, one of nature’s greatest wonders takes place in the Mexican Caribbean. Female sea turtles emerge from the waves at night and struggle ashore to lay their eggs in the sand on the same beaches where they were born many years earlier. The eggs hatch 45 to 60 days later and the baby turtles race across the sand towards the waves.
Security guards at The Royal Sands, The Royal Caribbean and The Royal Islander in Cancun and at Grand Residences will now be patrolling the beaches all summer to watch over the huge female turtles that come ashore to nest.
Three species of turtle are found in the Mexican Caribbean: the green turtle or tortuga blanca or verde (Chelonia mydas), the loggerhead or caguama (Caretta caretta) and the hawksbill or carey (Eretmochelys imbricata). Sightings of the leatherback or laud (Dermochelys coriacea), the world’s largest turtle and the one that is most critically endangered are extremely rare in the area.
Royal Resorts Turtle Guardians
Royal Resorts has been participating in the annual campaign to protect this endangered creature since 1985. Our turtle guardians patrol the beaches in search of nesting turtles. When they find one, they watch over her as she digs her nest and deposits her eggs. They then transfer the eggs to a corral where they must dig another nest that is identical to the original. The species, date and time of nesting and number of eggs are recorded and another long wait begins until they hatch. Finally, members and guests help guards release the hatchlings to start life at sea.
Record keeping began at Royal Resorts in 1998 and in just 17 years we have protected 6,159 nests and released 548,875 baby turtles! Nesting seasons are cyclical with a good year followed by a slow year. As the 2013 season was record-breaking with 822 nests and 2014 was much quieter with only 248, we are hoping that our turtle guardians will be busier this year.
If you are due to visit Royal Resorts during the summer, join us in protecting these beautiful creatures.
Follow the Turtle Rules
When you see a nesting turtle on the beach or participate in the turtle releases later in the season, please follow these rules:
* 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 her direction or use your flash when taking pictures
* If you bring your children to help release the hatchlings, make sure that they follow instructions
• Baby turtles are not playthings; they are fragile and must be handled with great care
• No flash photography
• No loud noises
• No smoking
• Help keep our beaches and sea clean. Discarded plastic bags, plastic packaging for six packs of beer, fishing lines and other garbage floating in the water are lethal to turtles and other marine life.
• If you go snorkeling wear a white t-shirt to protect you from the sun instead of applying sun lotion or use eco-friendly brands. Oils and chemicals in sun products are harmful to turtles and other marine life.
Turtles are protected by Mexican law and it is illegal to persecute and hunt them and consume their meat or eggs.
Visit this blog for more turtle news during the season. You can also pick up a Save the Sea Turtle t-shirt from the Gift Shop and support conservation.
