Cancún’s Blue Crab Migration: How to Help

Cancún, Mexico — The Municipal Ecology Department has announced that the second phase of the campaign to protect the blue crab will take place from October 5 to October 7. This species migrates from the lagoon to the sea during this period to fulfill its reproductive cycle.

Regarding this matter, Fernando Haro, the Director of Ecology, issued a special call to motorists traveling along the Kukulcán Boulevard, where the main crossing points are concentrated, to reduce their speed to allow for the safe passage of the crustaceans.

The sites with the highest presence of the species are Del Niño, Las Perlas, and Nizuc beaches, primarily during the evening shift starting at 18:00 hours. Joint operations involving municipal, state, and federal authorities, as well as volunteer brigades, will be deployed in these areas.

According to the Municipal Ecology Department, the blue crab's reproductive cycle is linked to lunar phases and the rainy season. Therefore, the protection campaigns are scheduled for specific months: the first was held from September 6 to September 8, while the current one corresponds to the second campaign of the year.

The blue crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) is a protected species that faces threats from urban growth, vehicular traffic, and habitat loss in Cancún's hotel zone.

For more than two decades, authorities and environmental organizations have organized operations to safeguard its migration, which is also considered a natural attraction and a reminder of the Mexican Caribbean's ecological richness.