Cancún Protects 522K Sea Turtle Eggs in Record Season

Cancún, Mexico — Due to an exceptionally productive sea turtle nesting season, Fernando Haro, head of the Ecology Department for the Benito Juárez municipality, announced that more than 522,000 eggs from four species—Leatherback, White, Hawksbill, and Loggerhead—have been protected on Cancún’s beaches.

Expansion of Nesting Corrals

Haro confirmed that the municipality currently maintains 48 nesting corrals, with plans to construct five additional ones in anticipation of further turtle arrivals in October and November. In coordination with hotels and condominiums, authorities have secured 4,200 nests containing over 522,000 eggs and have released 8,700 hatchlings into the ocean.

This year’s goal is to release more than one million hatchlings, as Cancún remains the state’s most active nesting site. Haro noted that in 2024, collective efforts safeguarded 7,450 nests across 54 corrals, protecting 980,416 eggs and releasing 954,126 hatchlings.

Record-Breaking Season

The 2025 season is shaping up to be a peak year in the turtles’ biological cycle, with nesting numbers already surpassing half of last year’s totals. Due to overcrowding in some corrals, officials are expanding protected zones and enforcing stricter regulations, such as prohibiting domestic pets in nesting areas like Playa San Miguelito to prevent disturbances to nests and hatchlings.

Permits and Public Cooperation

Three wildlife permits currently govern corral management in the municipality: one overseen by the local government (covering 54 hotels and condominiums), another managed by the Hard Rock Hotel, and a third by Grupo Palace.

Haro urged the public to avoid interacting with turtles or hatchlings, refrain from using white lights near nesting sites, and abstain from driving on beaches between 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM. He also reminded residents to respect marked nesting zones and to take pets only to the designated pet-friendly beach, Playa Coral.

Sightings or emergencies can be reported via the emergency number 900 or to trained personnel at local accommodations.