Witness An Amazing Spectacle In Huatulco As Thousands Of Baby Sea Turtles Make Their Way To The Ocean
Every year, thousands of sea turtles make their way to shore along the pacific coast of Mexico to nest. In the months that follow, thousands upon thousands of baby sea turtles make their way back to the ocean.
Every once in a while a person comes across an event almost too incredible to describe, and this phenomenon – known as arribadas – is one of them!
When
Nesting periods for sea turtles can be rather unpredictable and are thought to depend heavily on both the moon and tide conditions. With that being said, nesting has historically taken place around June and continues for several months.
During this time, thousands of sea turtles travel ashore and proceed to dig a hole approximately 2 feet in depth. This hole will become the temporary home to anywhere from 50 to 200 ping-pong ball sized turtle eggs. These slimy spheres will stay buried for approximately 2 months before the turtles hatch and begin to dig themselves out.
It’s at this point that the true work occurs. These tiny creatures make the daunting trek across the beach and to the ocean. Years of evolution has gotten this process down to a science.
The turtles emerge after the sun has set and follow the light cast by the moon back to the water. This strategy diminishes the risk of turtles being eaten by predators.
Unfortunately, not all sea turtles make it to the ocean; many who remain on shore by daylight are either eaten or die of sun exposure.
Luckily, sea turtles along the pacific coast of Mexico are given an advantage with the help of human intervention. During nesting season many initiatives take place, including setting up nets to protect the vulnerable turtle eggs. In addition, many of the beaches are guarded by government officials during nesting months to prevent poaching, a still huge problem in Huatulco (and in general).
With local and governmental assistance, many of these turtles get a second chance a life.
Where
As mentioned, this spectacle occurs on beaches all along the pacific coast of Mexico.
Sites such as Puerto Escondido and Mazunte are among the most populated beaches when it comes to nesting. As a result these two locations have become large players in the fight to protect the sea turtles.
On that note, if you find yourself in Mazunte be sure to check out the local Sea Turtle Museum. Here you will find a wide array of turtles both native to the area and otherwise.
This self-guided Huatulco tour requires a lot of planning and a little luck, but if you’re successful this will be one of the coolest experiences of your life!
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