Investigation Launched After Sea Turtle Hatchlings Allegedly Mistreated in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Environmental authorities in Playa del Carmen have opened an investigation after a video surfaced on social media showing several young people allegedly mishandling newly hatched sea turtles on a beach in the Riviera Maya.

The footage, widely shared on digital platforms, shows the young people picking up the hatchlings from the sand and placing them inside a cooler with ice. Social media users also claim the turtles were put into an alcoholic beverage while the group laughed about the incident.

Kandy Mendoza, head of Playa del Carmen’s Sustainable Environment and Climate Change Department, said the case is already being reviewed by the appropriate authorities.

Mendoza acknowledged that the names of three people have been circulating online as possible suspects, but said authorities do not yet have enough information to confirm their whereabouts or identities. She asked the public to come forward with any information that could help locate them.

The official expressed outrage over the incident, noting that sea turtles are a protected species and that such acts undermine the extensive conservation work carried out each nesting season by authorities, civil groups and volunteers.

She also thanked residents for reporting the case and urged anyone with relevant information to present it to the authorities.

Sea turtles that nest along Quintana Roo’s coast are protected under Mexican environmental law. Capturing, handling or harming the animals, their nests or eggs is a punishable offense that can carry administrative and even criminal penalties.

Environmental officials reiterated their call for residents and visitors to respect turtle protection protocols during nesting and hatching season, avoid handling hatchlings and allow them to make their natural journey to the sea.