Sea Turtle Camps - Acapulco, Mexico

Sea Turtles in Acapulco

During the rainy season from June to November each year, sea turtles begin to arrive on the sandy beaches of Acapulco to lay their eggs. Each female sea turtle lays about 100 eggs which she buries under the protective cover of the the sand. Forty-five to fifty days later, the little tortugas emerge and struggle to make their way to the relative safely of the sea (before they get snatched by hungry birds above).

In Acapulco, there are two main areas that have created turtle camps designed to the study and preservation of the sea turtles located at the opposite ends of town at Pie de la Cuesta and on the grounds of the Fairmont complex.

I happen to be a big turtle lover and so I always take time keep up on the struggle between sea turtles and the sea turtle poachers who kill the turtles for their meat and eggs. Sea turtles are a serious issue and the national and state governments, while having devoted greater attention recently to the issue by strengthening penalties against the poachers and making the occasional high profile arrest, it's not even close to enough. While the sale of turtle meat and eggs has been banned in Mexico since 1990, and carry a penalty of up to nine years in prison, turtle meat is sadly considered a delicacy by some and so turtles are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Mexico seems to be loosing it war against poaching and it's really sad to think that sea turtles could become extinct.

How Can You Help?

You can contact PROFEPA, Mexico's primer environmental organization, Green Peace Mexico, or the The Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP) for more information.

If you would like to donate time or money to the turtle camps in Acapulco, you can contact Ramiro Gomez.

Sea Turtles