Isla Mujeres Sea Turtle Protection Achieves Record Results

Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo — With a firm commitment to protecting the environment and conserving sea turtles—an essential part of Isla Mujeres’ natural heritage—municipal president Atenea Gómez Ricalde led the Closing Ceremony of the 2025 Turtle Camp, a season that yielded outstanding results, placing Isla Mujeres as the second municipality with the most protected nests.

During the 2025 season, the Turtle Camp recorded highly positive figures that reflect the constant and coordinated work between authorities, specialists, volunteers, and allied sectors.

In total, 1,100 nests were protected, 121,431 eggs were safeguarded, and 98,122 hatchlings successfully emerged, achieving an 81% hatching rate, an indicator that confirms the effectiveness of the actions implemented to strengthen conservation.

Biologist Itandehui Ramos Bautista, president of the State Committee for the Protection, Conservation, and Management of Sea Turtles in Quintana Roo, recognized the work done in this municipality, placing Isla Mujeres among the three municipalities with the highest number of released hatchlings, which speaks not only to excellent coordination but also to proper egg management.

“These excellent results show us that when there is coordination, professionalism, and citizen participation, real changes in conservation are achieved. That is why today I want to recognize the effort of the volunteers and all the sectors that joined in. This successful season reflects the love and respect we have for our natural wealth,” emphasized the island mayor.

For her part, the director of Environment and Ecology, Yamira Yanet Ruiz Noh, stressed that actions such as staff training, stranding response, nesting monitoring, hatching monitoring, and nest cleaning and management were carried out. During the period, 15 strandings were attended to, and the participation of staff from hotel complexes in Costa Mujeres was recognized.

The species with the highest number of nests was the white turtle, with 970 records, followed by the loggerhead turtle, with 113 nests, and the hawksbill turtle, with 17, reaffirming the relevance of Isla Mujeres’ beaches as a nesting zone. Additionally, compared to 2024, the number of protected nests in 2025 increased by 55.35%, a significant advance that marks a turning point in protection efforts.