{"id":52114,"date":"2011-05-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-05-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/royalresorts.com\/blog\/welcome-to-our-special-summer-visitors-whale-sharks-sea-turtles\/"},"modified":"2021-11-29T20:56:54","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T20:56:54","slug":"welcome-to-our-special-summer-visitors-whale-sharks-sea-turtles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.royalresorts.com\/blog\/cancun\/welcome-to-our-special-summer-visitors-whale-sharks-sea-turtles\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to our Special Summer Visitors, Whale Sharks & Sea Turtles"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

The Mexican Caribbean hosts two treasured visitors in the summer, whale sharks<\/strong><\/a> and the sea turtles <\/strong>that come ashore to lay their eggs. Welcome back to these beautiful creatures, both true ocean wanderers.<\/p>\n

An Awfully Big Adventure<\/strong><\/em>
\nFrom mid-May to mid-September, whale sharks<\/strong><\/a> (Rhincodon typus<\/em>), gather in the northern waters of the Mexican Caribbean off the island of Holbox<\/strong> and in the ocean deeps to the east of Contoy <\/strong>and Isla Mujeres<\/strong>. What draws the world\u2019s largest fish (they can measure up to 60 feet) here? The answer is food! They are filter feeders and rather like vacuum cleaners suck up the plankton that is plentiful in the summer as the water heats up. But marine biologists have also discovered that these gentle giants are partial to fish roe, in this case to the eggs of the bonito which spawns during the summer. Sightings of over 200 whale sharks have been recorded on one day in the area and scientists believe that this is the largest concentration in the world.<\/p>\n

Known as the tibur\u00f3n ballena<\/em> in Spanish, local fishermen also refer to the whale shark to the pez domino<\/em> or domino fish due to its dappled grey or dark blue skin. Biologists working in the Mexican Caribbean use the distinctive markings to compile catalogs of individual fish sightings. When divers encounter a whale shark they take a photo of a patch of skin behind the gills and above the left pectoral fin. The pattern of dots and stripes recorded does not change or fade with age and can be used to identify individual fish, almost like a fingerprint. The location of the fish is recorded with a GPS reading and the findings are used to monitor whale shark movements. Some whale sharks are even being marked with a satellite sensor to study migration patterns.<\/p>\n

Whale shark movements are still wrapped in mystery and scientists have much to learn about this enigmatic species. They are known to move from the Gulf of Mexico into the Mexican Caribbean and south to Belize and the Bay Islands in the Gulf of Honduras during the year, and some have even been tracked to Brazil. They also gather around Ningaloo Reef off the coast of Australia and there are other congregation zones in Fiji, the Seychelles and Baja California.<\/p>\n

For nature lovers, divers and seafarers, a whale shark sighting<\/strong> is the highlight of a summer vacation in the Mexican Caribbean. You\u2019ll learn a great deal about them from your knowledgeable eco guide and during the boat trip out to the whale shark area you may also spot dolphins<\/strong>, sea turtles<\/strong>, manta rays<\/strong> and a variety of seabirds<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Thomas More Travel<\/strong><\/a> offers whale shark trips<\/strong><\/a> and for more information and reservations check www.thomasmoretravel.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget your camera, take water and a hat and wear a t-shirt instead of applying sun lotion, even if it is labeled as biodegradable.<\/strong> You should always rinse lotion off before entering the water. If you are prone to seasickness, Dramamine or ginger tablets are recommended<\/strong>, as there may be a swell especially en route to the \u201cblue water\u201d east of Contoy.<\/p>\n

If you are interested in learning more about whale sharks, the latest research findings and conservation initiatives underway around the world don\u2019t miss the Isla Mujeres Whale Shark Festival, July 15 \u2013 17.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Caution, Sea Turtles Nesting<\/em><\/strong>
\nMay also marks the start of the green and loggerhead turtle nesting season<\/strong> in the Mexican Caribbean and the annual campaign to protect these ancient creatures<\/strong> as they lay their eggs. The Quintana Roo coast is one of the world\u2019s most important nesting areas for the green turtle (Chelonia mydas<\/em>) and also welcomes the loggerhead (Caretta caretta<\/em>), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata<\/em>) and the occasional leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea<\/em>), the largest and rarest of the world\u2019s eight turtle species.<\/p>\n

Biologists, hotel personnel, members of the armed forces and volunteers participate in the statewide conservation campaign. They patrol beaches in Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and the Sian Ka\u2019an Biosphere Reserve where turtles come ashore and are on the lookout as they emerge from the sea and struggle up the beach to dig their nests in the sand. Their presence helps deter poachers and keeps predators such as dogs, raccoons, seabirds and crabs away from the nests and eggs.<\/p>\n

Royal Resorts is proud to participate in the campaign and has been protecting turtles since 1985.<\/strong> Formal record keeping began in 1998 and to date, Royal Resorts has protected 4,216 turtle nests and released 306,156 hatchlings.<\/strong><\/p>\n

During the summer nights, security guards at The Royal Sands<\/strong>, The Royal Mayan<\/strong>, The Royal Caribbean<\/strong> and The Royal Islander<\/strong><\/a> stand guard over our turtle visitors. When they encounter a female turtle, they watch from a distance as she laboriously digs her nest and then move in to tag and measure her when she begins to lay her eggs. She may lay anything from 80 to 120 eggs and sometimes up to 200!<\/p>\n

The clutch of eggs is collected and transferred to an enclosure further up the beach out of harm\u2019s way. Guards must dig a nest that emulates the shape and depth of the original nest and label it with details of the species, the number of eggs, the date and time. They keep watch over the corral and patiently wait for the first baby of the season.<\/p>\n

The eggs hatch 45 to 60 days later and resort guests help staff release the baby turtles at dusk. Watching these tiny creatures make that dash down the beach to the waves is always an emotional experience. Hopefully, in 12 to 15 years, some of them will return to the beaches of the Mexican Caribbean to lay their own eggs.<\/p>\n

You can Help Protect the Sea Turtles<\/strong>
\nTurtles have been swimming the oceans for 100 million years<\/strong>, however centuries of overhunting for their eggs, meat, shell and oil, and modern-day threats such as pollution, climate change and habitat loss has brought them to the brink of extinction. They need our help and deserve our respect. If you are coming down during the summer, join us in protecting these beautiful creatures by following these guidelines.<\/p>\n

If you see a turtle on the beach<\/strong>
\n* Alert the security staff.
\n* Be very quiet and keep still
\n* Watch from a distance (five meters) and do not attempt to touch the turtle or crowd her.
\n* Do not shine a torch in her direction or use your flash when taking pictures.
\n* If you bring your children to help release the hatchlings, make sure that they follow instructions and please, no flash photography.
\n* No smoking
\nIf the turtle is frightened by loud noises, people and bright lights, she will leave the beach without nesting and lay her eggs in the water, thus losing the entire clutch (90 to 110 eggs).
\nUnder Mexican law it is illegal to persecute and hunt sea turtles or steal their eggs<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss our Turtle News<\/strong>
\nAs the nesting season progresses, Royal Resorts will be keeping you updated with turtle news<\/strong>, letting you know when they begin to arrive and when the first babies of the year hatch. Stay posted!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cancun"],"yoast_head":"\r\nWelcome to our Special Summer Visitors, Whale Sharks & Sea Turtles - Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.royalresorts.com\/blog\/cancun\/welcome-to-our-special-summer-visitors-whale-sharks-sea-turtles\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Welcome to our Special Summer Visitors, Whale Sharks & Sea Turtles - 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