Xcaret Park kicked off its annual Sea Turtle Initiation Program in Riviera Maya and began releasing sea turtles into the wild. In collaboration with the Flora, Fauna and Culture of Mexico Foundation, Xcaret aims to promote the protection of sea turtles in Mexico. For over two decades Xcaret has monitored, investigated and preserved sea turtle populations on the nesting beaches of the Central Coast of Quintana Roo.
The Sea Turtle Initiation Program in Riviera Maya was born in response to high predation mortality rates experienced by newborn sea turtles during the first months of their lives. Our program has successfully nurtured approximately 200 young turtles over a period of 15 months, until they reach a size where they are less vulnerable in the wild. During their stay at Xcaret, the turtles are cared for daily, while visitors at the park have the opportunity to learn about them, their characteristics and behaviors. This year our Initiation Program will be 22 years on November 2015.
Xcaret’s Turtle Hospital carefully observes each of the sea turtles to search for any signs indicating possible eating disorders, unusual behaviors or physical illnesses in order to treat them under the best possible conditions. Committed to reverse the declining population of sea turtles in our country, Xcaret’s hospital has become the most vital sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation center in Mexico. Six of seven species of sea turtles that exist in the world nest on the coast of Mexico and four of those species nest in Quintana Roo, so we have the responsibility and pleasure of protecting these species under any circumstances.
In order to be released at the end of the program, we verify that each of our sea turtles is in their best condition to survive in the wild.
From 2004 to 2014, 91 turtles have returned to Riviera Maya to lay eggs, according to the Sea Turtle Conservation Program, which monitors sea turtles in Riviera Maya. We’ve estimated that 22,750 hatchlings were born from the 91 female sea turtles we’ve released, thus confirming the success of the Sea Turtle Initiation Program.