Cozumel’s Sea Turtle Protection Program Achieves Record 747 Nests

Cozumel's "Sea Turtle Protection Program 2024" has successfully concluded this season, recording a total of 747 sea turtle nests at the Punta Sur Turtle Camp. The program is overseen by the Cozumel Parks and Museums Foundation (FPMC).

Juanita Alonso Marrufo, the general director of the FPMC, reported that out of the total nests, 619 belonged to the Chelonia mydas species, also known as white or green turtles, and 128 to the Caretta Caretta species, or loggerhead turtles. She also noted that 1,965 hatchlings were released back into the wild, including 1,863 white turtles and 102 loggerheads.

Over the course of the season, 212 volunteers participated in the program, helping with the monitoring and protection of the sea turtles. Ricardo Peralta Muñoz, who leads the camp, shared that volunteers also conducted beach clean-ups, removing 3,937 kilograms of garbage that could have obstructed the movement of nesting females and hatchlings towards the sea.

Rafael Chacón Díaz, the director of Conservation and Environmental Education (CEA), added that the "Sea Turtle Protection Program 2024" began in April. After seven months of monitoring, marking, geolocation, relocating at-risk nests, and releasing hatchlings with community participation, he considered the program to have had a successful season.