May marks the start of sea turtle nesting season in the Mexican Caribbean and long nights of vigilance for Royal Resorts security guards as they watch over our summer visitors.
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 to lay their eggs in the sand on the same beaches where they were born many years earlier. Forty-five to 60 days later the eggs hatch and the baby turtles scuttle across the sand towards the waves.
Royal Resorts has been participating in the annual campaign to protect this endangered species since 1985. Staff patrol the beaches at The Royal Sands, The Royal Caribbean and The Royal Islander in Cancún, and now at Grand Residences in Puerto Morelos, 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 duly recorded and another long wait begins until they hatch. Finally, members and guests help guards release the tiny hatchlings to start life at sea.
Record keeping began at Royal Resorts in 1998 and in 16 years we have protected 6,264 nests and released 522,394 baby turtles! We hope that this year is even more remarkable than our record-breaking 2013 season when we had 822 nests and set 89,314 turtles free.
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:
- 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 smoking
- Keep our beaches and sea clean. Plastic bags, beer packaging, fishing lines and other garbage floating in the water are lethal to turtles and other marine life.
Turtles are protected by Mexican law.
Visit our blog Royal Resorts News 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.
