Sea Turtles

Only eight species of sea turtles exist in the world; four of them nest in the state of Quintana Roo. At Akumal, snorklers are likely to see two types of turtles. The loggerhead turtle or tortuga caguama  has unique orange patterns on its shell. The green turtle, the tortuga verde, has a rounder and predictably greener shell. 

Between April and September, female turtles may nest as many as 6 times, heading on shore and plopping out between 100 and 150 eggs a time. Fifty to sixty days later the eggs hatch. The baby turtles dig themselves out of the sand and scramble to the ocean. 

One of the reasons turtles are so rare is that female turtles are picky about where they will lay their eggs. Scientists have observed that female turtles will give nest at the same spot their entire lives. Moreover, if they decide that the conditions aren’t right, they will sometimes stop partway through the process. Even if the turtles nest successfully, a turtle faces long odds when it comes to making it out of the egg and into adulthood.

The Centro Ecólogico Akumal was founded in 1993 to monitor the Akumal turtle population.  During nesting season, staff and volunteers keep track of how many nests appear on the beach and how may successfully produce turtles.  For more information visit, www.ceakumal.org.