This post is also available in:
Spanish
The latest news from our turtle guardians, the security guards at The Royal Sands in Cancun, is that the number of nests in the corral has hit the 300 mark and continues to rise, at 395 nests on August 31, it is already much higher that the 2024 season. They are watching over 46,573 eggs and have already released 16,771 baby green, loggerhead and hawksbill turtles or tortuguitas to begin life at sea.
And the turtles keep coming, meaning very busy nights for our dedicated eco warriors! On August 9, 16 female turtles came ashore to lay their eggs on the beach in front of The Royal Sands. On another night, four hawksbill turtles nested, a rare occurrence for Cancun, as these smaller turtles generally nest on the north coast beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula, along the Gulf of Mexico.
We hope that some of the baby turtles released so far this summer will find their way back to Cancun beaches in 12 to 15 years to lay their own eggs, repeating the eternal cycle.
Overall, it has been a record year for Cancun, so much so that four additional corrals may be needed along the shoreline between Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc. There are already over 4,200 nests with more than 522,000 eggs that are now beginning to hatch.
If you are staying at The Royal Sands this summer or fall, stay on the beach to watch the stars and the moon come up over the Caribbean and you may be rewarded with a glimpse of one of nature’s wonders, an ancient ocean traveler, a sea turtle laying its eggs, or see baby turtles scuttling towards the waves.