Turtles at Casa Tortuga

Did you know? There are seven species of sea turtle in the world, all of which are either threatened or endangered. México is home to six of these species, four of which can be seen off the coast of Quintana Roo. Three species can regularly be found around Akumal. Local beaches are nesting ground for two of these species: the Loggerhead Turtle and the Green Turtle. (Centro Ecologico Akumal ©)

The turtle nesting season is from May to November and several nests are on the beach of Casa Tortuga and Soliman bay. Female turtles crawl ashore ,dig nests into the ground, cover them with sand and return to the sea. 50-60 days later the turtle eggs hatch and make their way to the sea. They are guided by the light of the moon.

Because turtles are guided by light it is very important to turn the outdoors lights off. The baby turtle become disoriented, crawl the opposite direction of the sea and die.

While visiting Casa Tortuga you can take a walking tour of the Turtle Nesting grounds and learn more about the endangered species. The Centro Ecologico Akumal (CEA) has a sea turtle protection program and work to increase awareness and educate people about the two local species of sea turtles.

To learn more about the CEA sea turtle protection program and book a walking tour for your trip to Casa Tortuga you can visit their website here: The Centro Ecologico Akumal