Sea turtles have existed on our planet for over 100 million years. Today we have built hotels, houses, malls, removed beach bluffs, filled the beach with furniture, installed powerful lighting, have parties, firepits, and more, making their reproduction quite difficult.  Out of the 7 different species, both the Loggerhead and Green Sea Turtle nest on the beaches of Aventuras Akumal, which conveniently is the home of SAVE, A.C.   

 

'Akumal' is Mayan meaning “Home of the Turtles”.  The Aventuras Akumal stretch of beach is now the most populated turtle nesting beach per square meter of sand in the entire Atlantic Ocean.  Xcacel-Xcacelito, to our immediate south and buffering neighbor, is #2 with nestings. 

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May – October is nesting season.  When the mother is nesting, she will drag herself on the beach and dig a deep hole.  This effort takes up to one to two hours, and then she is ready to lay 80 – 200 eggs.  45 (average for Green turtles) - 60 (average for Loggerheads) days later, the newborns hatch, climbing slowly up to the surface where they keep themselves covered until dusk.  Their climb to the surface is known to take sometimes three days.

 

As the newborns race to sea, they are smelling the sand, tasting the sand, tuning in their navigation skills, to remember on what beach they were born.  Females return faithfully to their birthing beach to nest. From studies we are finding that turtles can lay up to six nests per season.  In fact, one nest may have up to 4 different fathers, since the mothers store sperm from the different suitors.

 

Baby birth: Their fins are made for swimming and traveling.  If the babies are lucky,  they will make it to the powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current,  they will ride this Gulf Stream along with others travelers. This current follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and up to Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean, continuing on this 'freeway' to Northern Europe, then down to the Mediterranean, where the growing sea turtles will stay until they are 8 years old, as they will now be strong enough to survive in the open sea.  They will then travel to the beautiful, majestic, peaceful Caribbean Islands, where they will live for the rest of their solo lives.  Green turtles are mature to reproduce at 15 years of age but for the Loggerheads 25- 40  years of age.  This is the time that they start the cycle of life journey back to where they were born.  It is stated that only one in every 1000 will survive to continue this cycle of life.

 

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SAVE hosts volunteers each season to help study and protect these beings...  

 

2018 

This was the year SAVE received federal permission from the Mexican government:

 

SEMARNAT

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) is the federal government agency responsible for promoting the protection, restoration and conservation of ecosystems and natural resources and environmental goods and services in Mexico, in order to promote their use and sustainable development.

 

Our job: to record every sea turtle nesting on Aventuras Akumal's  white sandy beach.  500 meters in total,  including in front of Sunscape Hotel to the border of Gran Bahia Principe Hotel.  

 

Sea Turtle Season 2018

Our  team of volunteers monitored 212 nests in total, measuring length and width of the female sea turtle shell, and approximately 45- 60 days later, recording the off-spring numbers. 

 

Sea Turtle Season 2019 

We thought the first year was wonderful, but this season was over the top.  We monitored 817 nests in total, releasing in our official numbers over 80,000 newly hatched turtles.  

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Sea Turtle Season 2020

We managed 637 nests. Released over 60,000 healthy hatchlings.  It was a strange year with no tourists because of Covid. Animals returned to the near jungle.  No lights or loud vacationers to disturb.  I am sure that the turtles were delighted.   Unfortunately, the raccoons came to often while the babies were hatching.  Volunteers  had to manage both the baby turtles going to the sea while scaring off raccoons.  

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Sea Turtle Season 2021 

At the end of the season we tallied 449 nests with 56,125 healthy newly born turtles that made it to the sea, on their path around the Atlantic, to hopefully return in the future to continue the circle of life.

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Sea Turtle Season 2022

We happily protected 619 nests this season with the release of just over 75,000 new hatchlings.  A fantastic year for all involved.

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Sea Turtle Season 2023

This summer season brought us the most nests yet, with 940 in total.  We had an amazing group of Volunteers which we called "The Dream Team".  An incredible season that will never be forgotten.  Thanks to all. 

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Our beach, Aventuras Akumal, is now considered to have the most nests per square meter than any in the Atlantic Ocean!!! Yeah!!!

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Loggerheads  (Caretta caretta)

Description:

The Loggerhead Sea Turtle has a head that is much bigger than other sea turtles. The overall body is shaped very similar to a heart. Their shell is red, yellow, and brown. They can weigh up to 250 pounds when full grown and close to 36 inches in length.

 

 

Greens  (Chelonia mydas)

Description:

The green turtle is a large, weighty sea turtle with a wide, smooth shell.  It is named not for the color of its shell, which is normally brown or olive depending on its habitat, but for the greenish color of its skin.  Weighing up to 700 pounds, green turtles are among the largest of sea turtles.  

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During the season, residents and tourists must keep beach lights low, off, or colored red.  Noises also affect the nesting mothers. There are laws in Mexico for the protection of the sea turtle.

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• Loggerhead: Hatchlings are omnivores (meaning they eat both animals and plants) but adults are carnivores, favoring crabs, whelks, and conchs.

  • Green: Fully grown sea turtles are herbivores and like to hang around coral reefs to scrape off s

If you see something that is not correct, then call the police.  Our emergency number is : 911.

 

Tulum                                  984-802-5459 and 984-871-2055

Akumal                                984-120-1678

Playa del Carmen               984-877-3340 and 984-877-3050