Cancún Prepares Second Nighttime Operation to Protect Blue Land Crabs

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Cancún officials are finalizing plans for a second round of nighttime operations to protect blue land crabs as the species begins its annual spawning migration toward the Caribbean Sea.

The city’s General Directorate of Ecology will deploy brigades on Oct. 25, 26 and 27, said Fernando Haro Salinas, the department’s director. The dates are timed to coincide with the full moon, the period when hundreds of mature female crabs (Cardisoma guanhumi) leave their underground burrows in the mangroves and head for Cancún’s beaches to release their eggs in the sea.

Over the three consecutive nights, ecology staff, emergency personnel and volunteers will patrol traditional crossing points to help the crabs traverse coastal roads safely and prevent them from being run over.

More Than 190 Crabs Rescued in September

Haro Salinas said the first operation of the season, held in mid-September, moved just over 190 blue crabs safely to the beach. That figure was lower than in previous years, he said, largely because the region received little rain during that period. Humidity and heavy rainfall are the natural triggers that prompt the crustaceans to leave their burrows.

Drivers Warned to Slow Down in Hotel Zone

Ahead of the second operation, the Directorate of Ecology renewed its call for residents and the tourism community to take part responsibly in the effort.

Officials also urged motorists traveling through the Hotel Zone and avenues bordering mangrove ecosystems to slow down, keep their high beams on and follow the instructions of brigadiers deployed in the area, ensuring the survival of a species officials describe as vital to the Caribbean’s ecological balance.