ResortHatch

In the early days of August, we anxiously await the arrival of the first baby turtles. Our turtle guardians are watching over the nests round the clock alert to the signs of moving sand and a depression forming on the surface which means that the eggs are beginning to hatch. Suddenly, a tiny flipper emerges from the sand followed by a head and then another as the first intrepid baby turtles struggle free of their shells. Their long wait is over. We are happy to report that the first 369 turtle hatchlings of the 2025 season have now been released to begin life at sea.

The first baby turtles emerged from a hawksbill or tortuga carey nest, the smallest of the turtles found in the Mexican Caribbean. Fifty-five of them scuttled across the beach towards the waves.

To date, there are 227 turtle nests in the corrals at The Royal Sands and the tally of eggs stands at 27,280 eggs (July 29). Many more female turtles will come ashore to nest as the season advances.

The Cancun Municipal Turtle Protection Program reported that there are 512 nests* and 61,853 eggs in 42 corrals at resorts along the shoreline between Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc (latest figures, July 5).

Elsewhere in the Mexican Caribbean, the Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA) reported 249 nests on four Akumal beaches, 162 of which were loggerhead turtle nests and 87 green turtle nests (July 8).

Flora, Fauna y Cultura de Mexico, A.C. biologists and volunteers patrol turtle nesting sites in the Playa del Carmen area and the district of Tulum, including Riviera Maya beaches such as Paamul, Aventuras DIF, Chemuyil, Santuario de la Tortuga Marina Xcacel-Xcacelito, Xel-Ha, Tulum and San Juan in Sian Ka’an. By June, it had already registered 582 green turtle nests, 1,090 loggerhead turtle nests and one hawksbill turtle nest at 14 nesting beaches. Over the last 40 years, this NGO has protected 200,000 nests and released 15 million baby turtles in the Mexican Caribbean.

Stay posted for more turtle news from Royal Resorts.