Cozumel’s Punta Sur Turtle Camp Records 625 Nests and 3,705 Hatchlings Released

Cozumel, Quintana Roo — The Punta Sur turtle camp has marked 625 nests and released 3,705 hatchlings into the sea so far during the 2026 season, the Foundation of Parks and Museums of Cozumel (FPMC) reported.

The work is part of the FPMC’s 2026 Sea Turtle Protection Program at the Punta Sur Ecotourism Park, where specialized staff and volunteers work side by side to protect one of the island’s most emblematic species.

Of the 625 marked nests, 547 belong to green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and 78 to loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), according to the permanent monitoring carried out along the coastline of the protected natural area.

Rafael Chacón Díaz, director of Conservation and Environmental Education, said the season’s efforts have allowed 3,705 hatchlings to reach the sea, including 740 loggerheads and 2,965 green turtles.

He noted that protecting sea turtles also requires keeping the beaches where they lay their eggs in good condition. Alongside the monitoring, cleanup crews have removed 1,513.5 kilograms of waste, helping to keep nesting areas and the routes hatchlings take to the sea clear.

Chacón Díaz said one of the program’s most important components is community participation, with volunteers joining monitoring, geolocation and nest-marking activities, beach cleanups and hatchling releases.

Beyond contributing directly to conservation, volunteers get an up-close look at the sea turtles’ nesting cycle and come to understand why it matters to protect both the species and the ecosystems they depend on, turning their involvement into an exercise in environmental education and awareness.

Ricardo Peralta Muñoz, technical coordinator of the Punta Sur turtle camp, said surveillance and monitoring of nests that complete their hatching process will be stepped up in the coming weeks. As part of that work, crews will inspect nests to count egg remains and gauge the results of each clutch — information that is key to assessing how the season is progressing.

The data collected will be used to update information on nesting activity for both species and to track sea turtle populations in the region. At the end of the season, the statistics will be shared with the Quintana Roo Committee for the Protection, Conservation, Research and Management of Sea Turtles and with the Directorate General of Wildlife at the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT).

FPMC general director Juanita Alonso Marrufo praised the commitment of staff and volunteers who have devoted time and effort to the camp. She said involving the community strengthens a culture of sea turtle protection and builds greater awareness of the value of Cozumel’s natural heritage — an effort she linked to the agenda promoted by Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa through the New Agreement for the Wellbeing and Development of Quintana Roo.