Turtle Season Reminder

The first sea turtle nest of the season on Half Moon Bay was confirmed on June 1. This was a late start to the season and turtle traffic on the beach has been sparse. CEA is investigating potential causes, which may include sargassum build up on the beach, beach furniture left out overnight, lights, the sargassum barrier in the bay, and more, but in the meantime, please do your part to assure that the beaches are accessible and hospitable to turtles. 

• Please continue to clear sargassum from the beach. Nikte Ha did a sargassum beach clean-up in front of their condo building and had a turtle nest the next day. As mentioned in last week's President's Brief, Vecinos can help with logistics for owners who request it.
  
  
• Please remove all furniture from the beach overnight. A number of properties have left camastros on the beach, resulting in a collision and / or discouragement of nesting. 
  
  
• Please remove outdoor lighting on the beach, or minimize it and use red bulbs in fixtures. Most of Half Moon Bay is now dark at night and turtle-friendly, but there are still some bright white light fixtures at the south end of the bay that spill light onto the beach and into the water. Please check your outdoor lighting and make adjustments. You can also remind your guests to pull their curtains or shades closed at night to avoid light trespass from indoors to out.
  

Turtle season runs from May to November each year. For more information on turtle conservation, click here: https://ceakumal.org/conservacion-de-la-tortuga-marina/