
Sea turtles returned to the beaches of Puerto Vallarta as every year. Their nesting season is from July 1 to December 31. Annually, between 2,500 and 3,000 nests are counted on the coast of our municipality. Each nest lays from 47 to 160 eggs, which means that approximately 280,000 turtles are born in this tourist destination.
There are constant reports from citizens and visitors who are amazed to see how the turtles come out on such popular beaches as Los Muertos and Olas Altas, as well as in Playa de Oro, mainly at night, but there are also records in Marina Vallarta, Malecón, Camarones and Las Glorias.
Recently, municipal authorities and species protection organizations officially launched the 2024-2025 Sea Turtle Nesting Season.
The director of Urban Development and Environment of the City Council, Adriana Guzmán Jiménez, recalled that the municipal program for the Protection and Conservation of the Sea Turtle, in coordination with non-governmental organizations, animal protection associations and the ecological environment, aims to carry out actions of protection, conservation, monitoring and surveillance of this species in the different beaches of the municipality, traveling day and night 25 kilometers in search of nests where they spawn, with the purpose of recovering and protecting them in incubation pens.
Scientists have identified 356 species of turtles around the world, each with its own characteristics. It is estimated that they have existed on earth for 220 million years, and since then they have colonized both terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
Also present at this event were Brenda Janeth Díaz Flores, director of the Vallarta Institute of Culture (IVC); Sergio García Angarica, head of the Sub-directorate of Environment; biologist Odín Benitez Luna, legal representative of the Boca de Tomates Turtle Camp; Mario Ramírez Ramírez, head of the Lifeguard area of the Civil Protection and Fire Department. Rohini Suta Velazco, president of the association Conservation of Marvelous Species of Bahía de Banderas, A.C. (CEMBAB), the latter expressed the satisfaction of restarting patrols and collecting nests to deposit them in their corrals or incubation nurseries:
“To all the people who see a turtle coming out of the sea towards the beach, they can make the report to 911, we are in a coordinated way with other camps, as well as with the Environment sub-directorate, to be able to attend to all the reports from the citizens, this species is very charismatic, very beautiful, but the most important thing is that they do not bother it when it comes out to spawn, all it does is look for a place to nest, in the program what we do is take care of these turtles when they come out to spawn.”
Those lucky enough to witness a spawning are advised to stay 10 meters away, not take photos with flash, not touch the turtle, eggs or hatchlings, and report to 911, or to lifeguards or security personnel at nearby hotels for their protection.
Source: tribunaldelabahia