Cancún Surpasses 10,000 Sea Turtle Nests in 2026 Season

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Cancún has recorded 10,407 protected sea turtle nests during the 2026 nesting season, with more than 1.2 million eggs and 203,994 hatchlings documented, according to the municipal Ecology Department.

The announcement comes as officials examine a nest that a turtle laid naturally outside a protected enclosure near the Live Aqua Cancún hotel.

The Ecology Department said the nest is considered in situ — one placed by the turtle outside the designated protected areas. Because such nests remain in their original location and are tracked under standard protocols, the department said the nest does not in itself represent an irregularity.

The department is working with Profepa, Mexico’s federal environmental enforcement agency, to review the circumstances and determine whether any responsibility related to the management of the protection enclosure exists. The municipality noted that the Live Aqua Cancún hotel had maintained proper management of its enclosures this season.

Green Turtles Account for Nearly All Nests

Of the 10,407 nests, 10,357 were laid by green turtles (Chelonia mydas), totaling 1,201,098 eggs and 199,325 hatchlings. The season also recorded:

• 48 loggerhead turtle nests with 5,532 eggs and 4,389 hatchlings
• 2 hawksbill turtle nests with 304 eggs and 280 hatchlings
• 51 protected nesting enclosures along area beaches
• 972 daytime and nighttime patrols

Rescue, Training and Public Outreach

Authorities said they responded to 27 turtle stranding and beaching events during the season. Environmental education efforts included 55 talks and puppet shows attended by 651 people, and 142 training courses for security officers, lifeguards and others involved in sea turtle protection, reaching 3,078 participants.