By David Nunez

Sea Turtle season is just around the corner, so here are a few tips to ensure the females and their eggs are kept safe.Please read below for a list of guidelines!

May usually marks the beginning of turtle season on the Riviera Maya as the first loggerheads begin coming ashore at night to nest on area beaches.  A month or two later they will be followed by green turtles, and the last hatchlings will emerge from their nests in September or October.  Although hawksbills can also be seen feeding in the reefs of the Riviera Maya, they prefer to nest on the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.  These shores also see the occasional leatherback, the largest of all turtles, but only very rarely. 

There are only seven species of sea turtle worldwide, all of which are either endangered, or critically endangered.  The major threats they face are incidental catch in fishing nets, poaching, loss of nesting grounds to developments, and a worldwide epidemic of a mysterious disease called fibropapillomatosis.

In the Riviera Maya, the most pressing threat is coastal development.  As construction continues to expand along our beautiful beaches, turtles are often left without proper nesting grounds.  Nesting females seek for quiet, empty stretches of beach to lay their eggs. Electric lights, beach chairs, noise and pets all can disorient and discourage a female from building her nest.

Here are a few measures you can take during turtle season (May to October) to help ensure the survival of sea turtles for future generations to enjoy:

• Turn off or shield lights that face the beach. 
• Try not to walk along nesting beaches at night.  If you do, avoid making noise, avoid smoking and place a red filter on any flashlights. 
• If you see turtles on the beach, do not approach them and keep silent.  No flash photos!
• Keep your pets indoors at night, and keep an eye on them during the day.  Dogs can scare turtles off the beach, destroy nests, and eat hatchlings.
• Avoid beach parties during nesting season (May to October). No camp fires!!
• Nests will often be marked by conservation workers. so they won’t be accidentally stepped on.  Please do not disturb!
• Bring your beach furniture in at night.
• Do not consume turtle meat or eggs, nor purchase any products made from turtle skin or shell.
•  Please remember that handling sea turtles without the proper authorization is a federal offense.
• Avoid harassing the turtles in the bays or reefs– regardless of the season.

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