Puerto Morelos Protects 665 Sea Turtle Nests in 2025

PUERTO MORELOS. The Puerto Morelos City Council reaffirms its commitment to environmental protection and the preservation of marine and wildlife with permanent conservation actions for species, particularly sea turtles, stated Mayor Blanca Merari Tziu Muñoz.

“The protection of sea turtles is a shared responsibility that in Puerto Morelos we assume with work, environmental and social awareness. Each protected nest and each released hatchling reflects our government’s commitment to biodiversity conservation and respect for our environment,” she emphasized.

For her part, the Secretary of Environment, Animal Welfare and Sustainable Mobility, Aimee Rodríguez Vivas, indicated that each year, from April to November, the Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection Program is developed, under the coordination of the General Directorate of Environment and the General Directorate of Federal Maritime Terrestrial Zone (Zofemat).

In 2025, more than 150 hours of supervision and surveillance patrols were conducted, in addition to training more than 30 hotel employees, who participate as disseminators of good environmental practices among their colleagues and tourists, in accordance with the guidelines established in Official Mexican Standard NOM-162-SEMARNAT-2012, for the protection of turtles in their nesting habitat, she explained.

For her part, biologist Verónica Juárez Rivera, Director of Regulation and Evaluation, detailed that four species of sea turtles nest on the coasts of Puerto Morelos that are under protection status for being endangered: the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea).

In the 2025 season, 665 nests were located and monitored, 652 of green turtle and 13 of loggerhead. For this, 152 daytime patrols and 20 nighttime patrols were conducted, with the participation of citizens committed to environmental conservation, she indicated.

According to the official, in the 652 green turtle nests, 40,735 eggs were protected and 18,375 hatchlings were released; from the 13 loggerhead turtle nests, 1,551 eggs were protected, achieving the release of 1,077 hatchlings.

“Sea turtles are fundamental for ecological balance, as they favor the growth of seagrasses, which help stabilize beaches, form an essential part of the food chain and regulate populations of various marine species, such as jellyfish and fish,” she highlighted.

Likewise, she said that this year special emphasis was placed on environmental education directed at children, with informative talks, puppet theater, video projections about sea turtle care, drawing contests and manual activities. They reached 630 minors, of which 313 were boys and 317 girls. Additionally, two beach clean-up days were conducted at Punta Petempich and Punta Brava beaches, with the participation of the general public.

“We reaffirm our commitment to caring for Puerto Morelos’ natural heritage and to building a sustainable municipality, conscious and responsible toward future generations,” concluded Mayor Blanca Merari.