Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Xpu-Há beaches have become the top nesting site for sea turtles this season, with 15 loggerhead nests recorded so far, according to local environmental officials.
Yamil Collí Cach, head of the sea turtle program at the Secretariat of Sustainable Environment and Climate Change, said the coastal stretch has seen significant turtle activity early in the arrival season, likely due to its proximity to the Xcacel-Xcacelito nesting sanctuary.
“Last year we had more than 700 nests and released over 50 hatchlings. So far we have 20 nests, and the area with the highest arrival is Xpu-Há, where we have recorded 15 nests. Hatching will begin in June and July, and in July the green turtles — the most common species in the municipality — will start arriving,” Collí Cach said.
The agency has a specialized team that patrols against egg poaching and other threats during the nesting season.
“We have several incubation corrals where we move turtles when they are vulnerable to predators, when tides are high, or when nests are at risk,” she added.
Collí Cach said no illegal activity has been detected so far this season, but noted that in previous years authorities have filed criminal complaints over nest theft and turtle attacks. Some cases have led to the arrest of poachers, particularly after eggs were found for sale in neighborhoods such as Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta.
She urged the public not to consume turtle products, warning that doing so is a crime punishable by several years in prison.
