Lack of human activity is directly linked to an increase in sea turtles nests

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Cancun, Q.R. — More than 370,000 sea turtle eggs have been accounted for along Cancun beaches, says the General Directorate of Ecology.

Guadalupe Alcántara Más, the General Director of Ecology for Cancun says during the first two months of the nesting season, more than 370,800 eggs have been accounted for through their program which includes coordination with local hotels.

“At the beginning of the season, we estimated 3,000 nests for this year, but only two months into the season, we already exceeded that number,” she said. The head of ecology reported more than 3,100 nests have been marked from white, loggerhead and hawksbill sea turtles. She noted that this year, six leatherback sea turtle nests have also been recorded with a total of 556 eggs.

The arrival of additional females is due to less human activity along Cancun beaches, says Alcántara Más.

She explained that the surprising arrival of additional females to Cancun beaches is a direct link to less human activity. “We have a greater presence of female sea turtles on our beaches since there is no human presence to disturb them, no lights, no sounds that discourage them from leaving the sea,” she said.

One of the 47 sea turtle egg protection pens found along Cancun beaches

As of July 1, 47 protection pens had been installed, of which 45 were installed by the hotel sector and two by the Ecology Directorate. These corrals are located along the 12 kilometres of beach where the four species of sea turtles have arrived.

The sea turtle season on the beaches of Cancun runs between May and October.

Source: riviera-maya-news.com

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