AKUMAL’S TURTLES
Akumal’s Beautiful Turtles
There are seven species of sea turtles in the world, all of which are threatened or endangered. Mexico is home to six of these species; four can be seen off the coast of Quintana Roo and three can be found regularly around Akumal. Local beaches are nesting habitat for two turtle species: Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Green (Chelonia mydas).
Learn more by visiting the CEA’s website.
Centro Ecological Akumal: Centro Ecological Akumal (CEA) offers a variety of talks about environmental issues as well as turtle walks during turtle season, May to October. The CEA Center is located just steps from Hotel Akumal Caribe.
Loggerhead Turtle
Loggerhead turtles can be recognized easily by the relatively large size of the head, a thick carapace and a reddish-brown coloration of the shell and skin. Adults weigh between 100 and 200 kg and are up to 1.15 m long. Nesting season is from May to August. Their diet consists mainly of crustaceans such as crabs, snails and lobsters.
Green Turtle
The Green turtle is the largest sea turtle with a rigid shell and is the second-largest turtle (after the Leatherback) of the seven species. Adults can weigh up to 250 kg and measure up to 1.2 m long. Nesting season is from June to September. Their diet consists primarily of seagrass and algae.
Turtle Walks
During nesting season, CEA provides guided night walks to observe nesting females and hatchlings, in order to raise awareness and educate visitors about the importance of respecting the sea turtles and their environment. Before the walk an informative talk is given. CEA invites you to be part of conservation and protection activities carried out on the nesting beaches. You can sign up for the “Turtle Walk” at CEA’s office.