Today, there are seven species of sea turtles, and six of them can be found on the coasts of Mexico. The most common variety to appear in Banderas Bay is the Olive Ridley sea turtle.
To lay its eggs, a female sea turtle will climb onto the beach and dig a hole with her flippers. After laying between fifty and 200 eggs, she re-fills the hole with sand and returns to the sea.
The buried eggs incubate for about two months before hatching. Then, the babies break out of the eggs, climb to the surface, and instinctively make their way down the beach to the sea.
All seven species are currently endangered or threatened. Newly-hatched baby sea turtles face a number of threats on their short trip to the ocean, including seagulls, herons, crabs, and humans. For those that do make it into the water, the dangers aren’t over – in addition to natural predators such as sharks, sea turtles are susceptible to risks such as getting stuck in fishing nets or eating trash.
From July until November each year, there are a number of opportunities to participate in turtle releases in Puerto Vallarta. Many beachfront hotels dig up sea turtle eggs and relocate them, re-burying them in small, protected pens. When the eggs hatch, the hotels hold frequent events at dusk in which you can release a baby turtle on the beach and watch it make its way into the Pacific. These events are usually free.
The following is a list of local hotels that regularly host turtle releases.
Dreams Puerto Vallarta, 322-226-5000
Fiesta Americana, 322-226-2100
Marriott CasaMagna, 322-226-0000
Sheraton Buganvilias, 322-226-0404
Velas Vallarta, 322-226-9500
Westin, 322-226-1100
