Baby Turtle Release in Puerto Escondido, Mexico
One of the most memorable experiences of our 4 month long Mexico trip was participating in the baby turtle release in Puerto Escondido. If you’ve researched the area or know anyone who has been to Puerto Escondido on the Oaxacan coast of Mexico, you’ll probably have read or heard about the turtle conservation efforts here.
Every day, just before sunset, people gather on the beaches of Puerto Escondido to assist in the baby turtle release. The cost of releasing one turtle is 100 pesos (£3.63 at the time of writing), and the money raised is circled back into protecting this beautiful but endangered species.
Upon arriving at the release site, we were shown around a large tent where the sea turtles’ eggs were buried. The turtles don’t actually lay their eggs here; instead, the team here works tirelessly through the night to find, remove and rebury the eggs as the turtles lay them. We learned more about this on our night tour, which is detailed below.
Small enclosures hold newly hatched turtles; you can hold and touch these, but please be gentle. Some of these new hatchlings are only minutes old! These were the turtles that we would be releasing shortly.
Next, you will be given a coconut shell containing your turtles! Be careful because they will try to escape; it’s best to cover the shell with your hand as you make your way down onto the beach to the release spot.
Once we got close to the shoreline, the guide drew a line in the sand, which marked where to release the turtles. It’s important they make their own way down into the water rather than being released directly into the water. Some of the turtles seem to have a better instinct than others, with some waddling straight down in the direction of the sea and others having a harder time finding which way to go! After a few minutes, though, all of the turtles made it into the ocean! I had read online about there sometimes being an issue with the seagulls and other birds coming along at release time and grabbing the turtles, but we didn’t have this problem where we were.
How to Participate in the Release
There are a number of ways you can participate in the turtle release.
Book a Tour (Evening Tour)
On our first release, we booked this tour on Airbnb, which included a trip to the turtle release followed by a trip to the bioluminescence lakes in the area. This is a great and affordable way to participate in two wonderful activities - especially if you don’t have a car!
Head Down to the Beach at Sunset
Usually, the baby turtle release happens around sunset, so simply head on down to Zicatela beach just before sunset, and you can pay to participate there and then.
Book a Tour (Night Tour)
We actually released turtles twice, once just before sunset with a group of other tourists (this is the most popular time) and once again on a private nighttime tour, literally in the middle of the night! The turtle hatches must be monitored 24/7 as once the turtles have hatched (which could happen at any time), there is only approximately a 2-hour window for their release. If they are released too late, they simply won’t survive. Because of this, you can take a night tour and participate in the night watch.
Vive Mar - The Charity Behind The Releases
In 2011, a group of people in the community of Mejoras de Chila, San Pedro Mixtepec, Oaxaca founded a non-governmental organization known as "Vive Mar".
VIVEMAR is a community cooperative based on the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico. It does not belong to any government or private institution and works together with other social organizations to conserve natural resources and culture in the region.
Protecting more than 27 km of coastline from Manzanillo Beach to Viagía Beach, for Vive Mar, Sea Turtles are an important pillar in the organization; the team currently work to protect 4 of the 7 species of sea turtles that exist in the world.
The organisation has a website where you can also make donations online so you can help to protect our incredible turtle species from wherever you are in the world.
FAQs
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Puerto Escondido's turtle release happens daily at 5 pm at Playa Bacocho beach. You'll have a chance to hold and gently place a tiny baby turtle in a coconut before releasing it into its new home in Puerto Escondido's beautiful ocean.
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Puerto Escondido is a place where you can find four different types of turtles: the Olive Ridley Turtle, the brown turtle, the hawksbill sea turtle, and the leatherback sea turtle. Each of these creatures has its own unique characteristics that make them special to see in this beautiful town.
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Yes, I believe releasing the turtles is ethical. There is a heated debate about whether or not to release wild turtles into protected areas in Puerto Escondido. With warmer weather and an increase in poaching, it's estimated that only 3% of hatchlings will make it to adulthood.
The leatherback turtle, in particular, is in trouble. A number of factors, including habitat loss and climate change, mean their numbers have been dropping, and they are now listed as endangered by the IUCN. To help ensure their long-term survival, local organizations have teamed up with the Oaxacan government to hatch eggs and provide care until the turtles reach adulthood. This conservation work has had a positive impact so far, and it's important that we continue supporting it in the future.
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Yes, I believe this is a vegan-friendly activity.