The end of July arrives, and the adventure begins again for sea turtles fighting to reach the ocean and achieve freedom to thrive in the sea.
Along the extensive coastline, we can find seven species of sea turtles that lay their eggs each year: la turtle laúd, la prieta, la caguama, la verde, la lora, la carey y la golfina.
This is a beautiful natural spectacle that many conservationists teach and share to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the natural spaces that turtles need to thrive.
The various conservation centers located throughout the destination patrol the coasts with volunteers who assist with awareness raising, egg collection, and subsequent nesting for release.
Many organizations echo the need to help these species, which urgently and constantly require the care and preservation of their eggs, thus preventing them from being endangered by threats from both predators and human activities.
From mid-July to the end of November, we can find the most significant number of nests on the coasts. It is essential to educate both the public and tourists about the importance of reporting turtles nesting on beaches to the authorities and to avoid disturbing their path or deviating from it. Inappropriate human intervention can seriously jeopardize the preservation of coastal habitats. Effective awareness-raising will allow for the implementation of the necessary actions to conserve these species.
Tours typically take place very early in the morning and at night, when the most turtle sightings are reported.
Many organizations involve the general public in participating in the release of baby turtles into the sea. This fosters a commitment to their care and promotes support for their conservation.
Education is one of the most important tools we have to advance future environmental projections and the ongoing care of all endangered species.
Some of the spots in Los Cabos where you can enjoy this incredible activity are: The Hilton Hotel, located on the Transpeninsular Highway, co-founded the “Los Cabos Turtle Protection Network” in 2003. They are authorized and trained by the Federal and State Governments to train, manage, and help preserve sea turtles.
Daily, they patrol ten miles of beach from El Dorado to Playa El Tule, monitoring the number of nests found and transporting the eggs to the corral they have prepared for their release.
ASUPMATOMA is another non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the various species of turtles that inhabit the area, having been established in 1995 and serving as the pioneer camp in Baja California Sur. They not only protect the turtles but also focus on research and promoting environmental education. Currently, three beaches in Los Cabos are monitored.
San Cristóbal Beach: A 4.5 km beach where the Base Camp is located and where we receive visitors as part of the Environmental Education program.
Suspiro Beach: A 13 km beach adjacent to SC Beach.
Monumentos Beach: Only 300 meters long, it is located within the Cabo San Lucas Bay Flora and Fauna Protection Area.
This camp is located on El Suspiro Beach, on the Pacific coast. You must arrive by 4×4 due to difficult access.
From January to July, they offer camps at Rancho San Cristobal to immerse yourself in the conservationist environment they promote. They teach you how to camp under the “leave no trace” philosophy.
From July to October, they invite you to witness nesting and the subsequent egg extraction for release. This is, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in contact with nature. One of the objectives of this association is to learn about the life cycle and proper conservation. The goal is to collect eggs and protect them in an incubation pen.
The available dates for these activities are from July 15th to October 31st, with prior reservations at [email protected].
Financial support for these associations is crucial for their continued survival and the resources they need to continue protecting wildlife on our coasts.
It is hard work that is done every day to preserve species that are crucial for maintaining a proper balance in the food chain.
Another of the pens protected by the Natural Resources and Wildlife Agency is located in the town of San José del Cabo, BCS, in front of the Estero San José Ecological Reserve. There, you can see all the carefully protected nests. Records are kept of the number of eggs laid by each turtle, as well as the dates of collection and release.
The main objective of the Sea Turtle Protection Network, in addition to raising public awareness, is to implement direct actions aimed at genuine conservation not only of turtles but also of various migratory birds, as well as the native flora and fauna of the area, both marine and terrestrial.
Every action generates a reaction, and that is one of our missions: to foster greater respect for the environment we inhabit.
From the LIFESTYLE family, we would like to express our deep gratitude to all the people who work every day on this commendable task and for their invaluable teachings and commitment to the preservation of sea turtles.