Isla Mujeres, Q.R. — More than 500 sea turtle nests have been recorded in the municipality of Isla Mujeres. From those nests, over 65,000 eggs have been protected by volunteers of the Sea Turtle Protection and Conservation Program.
Edwin Novelo Ríos, the Isla Mujeres Director of Environment and Ecology, reported that so far this season, 65,225 eggs from 565 nests have been protected. Of those, 9,408 are loggerhead sea turtle eggs from 81 recorded nests, 54,951 white sea turtles from 477 nests, and 797 hawksbill eggs from six nests. There are also 69 sea turtle eggs that are classified as unknown.
To date, 8,142 hatchlings have been released.
Rios says the municipal government has reinforced actions for the preservation of sea turtles since they are a representative species of Isla Mujeres. He says sea turtles have a fundamental function in marine life as they transport nutrients, remove sand from beaches and feed on sponges and jellyfish, thus maintaining control of populations, among other things.
The sea turtle nesting season generally runs from May to October, and is manned each year by volunteers through the Sea Turtle Protection and Conservation Program with the help of the Isla Mujeres Turtle Camp.
