SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION
Six of the seven species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered. Two of these species nest on the beaches of Akumal.
Akumal means "Place of the Turtle" in Mayan. In fact, sea turtles are one of the main attractions for tourists to visit. For six months of the year, two species of turtles, the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) nest along the beaches of Quintana Roo, including the beaches in Akumal.
Our Projects
Turtle Camp, Akumal
Campamento de Tortugas, Akumal
Since 1993, under a government-issued permit, Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA) has worked on the protection, conservation, and research of sea turtles. This permit allows us to work on four different beaches within the Akumal area.
Our Purpose
To protect, conserve and research Akumal’s nesting sea turtles as well as their nests and hatchlings.
Our Work
During nesting season, CEA staff and volunteers patrol the beaches of Akumal in search of nesting females and hatchlings. The activities include:
-
protecting and tagging nesting females
-
locating and marking nests with stakes and GPS coordinates
-
obtaining scientific data, and
-
helping to minimize predators from the nests
Data is collected on the patrols and is used to determine how many nests were achieved, as well as behavior, distribution and abundance.
At the end of each season, and as part of the permit responsibilities, CEA submits all the data recorded to SEMARNAT and a synthesized version is made available for our website.
Turtle Education + Outreach
Our Purpose
To protect and conserve Akumal’s nesting sea turtles through awareness, education and outreach activities in the local community, schools and to hotel guests and visitors to Akumal.
Our Work
Throughout the year, and increasingly as we lead up to and during nesting season, CEA staff and volunteers conduct outreach activities including:
-
talks to schools, classes and education groups
-
presentations and information sessions within the community for residents and guests
-
training and information to accommodations / hotel staff
-
preparedness sessions for homeowners and hotels
-
participation in special education and outreach events alongside other collaborators and organizations in our community and network
GET INVOLVED
VOLUNTEER
Nesting season in Akumal is from May to November. Volunteers can get involved by helping us with the Turtle Camp or Turtle Education + Outreach Activities throughout the season
Please note we are currently accepting Turtle Camp volunteers who can commit for at least:
-
4 weeks
NEWS + UPDATES
REPORTS + PUBLICATIONS
Software for improved field surveys of nesting marine turtles
Nature.com/scientificreports
Ancient Mayan "Place of Turtles" Copes with Modern-Day Tourism
SWOT Report, Volume 10