It is now turtle nesting season, which officially began in mid-April.  CEA volunteers have been walking the beach nightly to document the number and location of nests, how many eggs are laid, number of predations, etc.  For those who don’t know, CEA is Centro Ecologico Akumal, the community organization that has been helping to protect for Akumal’s marine and coastal environment for over 30 years. Here is CEA’s latest turtle nest update:

We’re only about 25% of the way through the  nesting season, so comparisons with last year are still tentative.  However, the concern is that since the June 10 nesting update from CEA, there are only three new nests on Half Moon Bay, while nesting numbers were rising steadily on Half Moon Bay at this time last year and are rising steadily now on other area bays. As of July 8, Half Moon Bay is at its lowest nest count in early July in the past five years, probably due to heavy sargassum on the beach.

Claudia Leon, Turtle Camp Coordinator of CEA, spoke with us, and along with her volunteers she has been walking the beach each night. She mentioned that this has been very difficult, due to the quantity and the smell of the rotting sargassum. She also told us that the heavy sargassum this year has been an impediment to the turtles being able to reach much of the beach.  According to Claudia, “It’s very sad when you go every night and you don’t see anything.  We see the turtles swimming toward the beach and because of the sargassum walls they can’t make it to nest.”  She also mentioned that at Tan-Ik, the maintenance staff worked very hard on cleaning the beach all day and that very night, a turtle nest was spotted! Evidence and research is clear: cleaning the beaches, along with removing furniture and following rules about lighting, will encourage more turtle nesting.  You can follow CEA’s Facebook page for frequent nesting updates and recommended beach practices.  Find it by searching for “CEA Akumal” in the search bar of Facebook.

Another update - we also have our first hatched nest!  As hatchling season progresses between now and November, it is even more important that we clear paths for the hatchlings.  Any impediments will make it harder for the hatchlings to make it into the water and subject them to either being stranded and/or increased predation.  Research has shown (and Claudia confirmed this has been her experience) that over 20 cm of sargassum will reduce the number of hatchlings that make it to the water without being stranded or the victim of predation, and after 30 cm they won’t be able to make it to the water at all.  This research is sited here: https://biology.fau.edu/news/the-turtles-are-coming-but-so-is-the-sargassum/index.php?utm_source=chatgpt.com

In other words, it is vitally important to the nesting turtles and to the hatchlings that proper beach maintenance is observed.  See below for a checklist of what can be done to make sure your beaches are safe and clear, and that proper lighting protocols are observed by owners and renters alike.  CEA has contacted property managers directly about these protocols, and as owners we also need to be aware and heed them ourselves and alert our renters. 

Let us embrace this opportunity to coexist harmoniously with nature, ensuring that Akumal’s shores remain a robust turtle breeding ground for generations to come!