Cozumel Releases Nearly 7,000 Sea Turtle Hatchlings in 2026 Nesting Season

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Cozumel has released 6,915 sea turtle hatchlings into the sea during the 2026 nesting season as part of conservation work at the San Martín turtle camp, where officials have also registered and marked 6,000 nests.

Noel Rivas Camo, the island’s deputy director of ecology, reported the figures. Of the hatchlings, 3,782 were loggerhead turtles and 3,133 were green turtles. Among the recorded nests, 5,767 belonged to green turtles and 233 to loggerheads.

Officials warn that artificial lights, trash, and the presence of people or animals near nesting sites can disrupt the turtles. Visitors are urged to stay out of marked areas, avoid handling newborns, and follow instructions from camp staff.

Andrea Beltrán, a volunteer with the program, said visitors should keep their distance from the nests and refrain from touching the hatchlings. “Protection activities should be left in the hands of authorized personnel,” she said.

Diego Esquivel, who works in tourism, said that once people learn how the turtles are born, they understand why they must avoid lights, garbage, and any activity that interferes with the animals’ movement toward the sea. “It is important to follow the instructions and not tamper with the nests; the turtles are protected,” he said.

Rivas Camo said crews have carried out 122 nighttime surveillance patrols during the season to locate, register and mark nesting sites, allowing officials to track reproductive activity and organize protection measures on the beaches where the turtles come ashore.

The San Martín turtle camp keeps up surveillance, monitoring, research and environmental education throughout the season in an effort to support the conservation of the marine species that reach Cozumel’s shores.