¿Qué pasa Cozumel? - Cozumel Marine Turtle Salvation Program

During the nights of April through September each year, Cozumel plays host to thousands of sea turtles who come ashore on the eastern side of the island to nest.  They are returning to the same area that they themselves were born.  Two species of sea turtles, the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), lumber their way up the beach to dig holes where they may lay from 100-150 eggs at a time.  These eggs are about the size of your average chicken egg.  Once the female is finished laying her eggs, she makes the journey back to the ocean where she will mate again and return later to lay more eggs.  These turtles can repeat this nesting process up to 6 times in one season.



Mother turtle's tracks back to the ocean.

Roughly 60 days after these eggs have been placed in their nest, the young hatchlings emerge at the surface, typically at night when the temperatures are cooler, and immediately head for the ocean.  During this season, lights are limited along the beaches to prevent the disorientaion of the new hatchlings who rely on the light reflected off of the water's surface to guide them. Once they reach the ocean, they will live in the shallows for many years, surviving on the protection and nutrition of seagrass. It will be some 20 years until these babies reach maturity and return to this same beach to lay their own eggs. With a life span of hundreds of years, sea turtles are the grandfathers of the sea.

You may also find in the bays and reefs of the Cozumel area, foraging areas where sea turtles such as hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate) turtles and giant leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles have been sighted swimming along the shore.

The City of San Miguel works in partnership with local police and Federal armed forces to limit activity on the east side at night during turtle nesting season. During this time, only the salvation program participants with specifically designated biologists, interns, and volunteers are allowed to walk the beaches in search of nesting female turtles, turtle nests, and recent hatchlings. Among the salvation program participants' duties are the protecting and tagging of females, the collection of scientific data, the relocation of eggs to more favorable locations on the beach, and the release of hatchlings to the sea. From the data collected, the salvation program is able to determine turtle hatching success, behavior, distribution, and population. [1]

"At this time there are essentially two turtle salvation efforts in progress: 

The Parks and Museum Foundation's Punta Sur Park Salvation Program - This program began in 2000 and covers the beach area from the entrance of Punta Sur Park all the way to the south lighthouse. Since access to the park is closed to the public at night, this program enjoys significant protection from poachers. This is a FOR PROFIT endeavor that offers tours that are publicized through the Cozumel Museum. Tickets for these excursions run about $50 per person and are sold through the Cozumel Museum downtown. 

The City of San Miguel's Volunteer Salvation Program - This program began back in the late 1980's and covers the beaches from Mezcalitos south to the Punta Sur Park entrance. What began as a grassroots effort by a few citizens interested in turtle conservation, eventually evolved into a small City funded program whereby the City relied upon volunteers to do the nightly work, but were able to fund the salaries of 2 biologists to supervise the sanctuary and the work of the volunteers. For many years, no other funds were available to further develop the program or to provide supplies, gas or vehicles for the volunteer groups working the beaches each night.

2011 Turtle Nesting Season

The 2011 Cozumel marine turtle nesting season is off to a fast start this year with over 45 loggerhead nests already registered during the month of May. The Municipal Committee that manages the activities of the Turtle Salvation Program began meeting in April under the leadership of a new Director of Ecology Héctor González Cortés. Héctor González Cortés previously worked for Fundacion de Parques y Museos and has served on Cozumel's Turtle Program Committee for over 12 years.

 City funds are low as the nesting season begins this year so the Committee has decided to once again allow tourists and volunteers to participate in the program for a nominal donation which goes toward funding gas, supplies and a lead biologist.

 For the 2011 Season there are 2 ways for visitors or islanders to participate for an evening:
 1) Tourists visiting Cozumel or those living here who would like to work for an entire night (or morning) side by side with a turtle brigade can do so during the sea turtle nesting season for a nominal donation per person from June 1 through November 15 annually.
 2) Tourists visiting Cozumel or those living here who would like to observe, learn and release baby turtles one night for a few hours with a turtle brigade can do so during the sea turtle nesting season for a nominal donation per person from June 1 through September 15 annually.

NOTE: Requests are submitted to an approval process and are handled on first-come, first-serve basis. Please allow 1 week for a response."  [1]

Don't want to lug those heavy underwater light batteries home?  Here is a way to help the biologists and brigadistas:

Those wanting to help CAN contribute in ways that will directly affect the cause. The best way to help is with the contribution of actual supplies being used by the Volunteer Brigades.


Turtle Salvation Program Supplies Wish List

• Small Hand-held Flashlights
• Forehead-Mount Flashlights for Hands-Free Working
• Small Spotlights - Car Battery Powered (via cigarette lighter)
• Batteries – AAA, AA, D
• Multi-channel 2-way Radios with protective plastic covers
• Surveyor’s Plastic Marking Tape – orange or pink neon color
• Seamstress Measuring Tapes
• Latex Gloves
• First Aid Kits
• Pens
• Black Waterproof Markers (Thin Tip Sharpie)
• Heavy Duty Small/Medium Trash Bags (NO BLACK)
• Disposable Rain Ponchos
• Water, Soft drinks, Ice Chests
• Gasoline Vouchers from Local Stations
• Propane Gas Lanterns
• 50 meter measuring tapes (on rolls)
• Spring scale capacidad 100 gr
• Spring scale capacidad 60 gr
• Any literature or reference books on marine turtles ~ Spanish or English

A great place to contribute supplies in this way is through the Cozumel Volunteer Connection [CVC] office. Donors may designate a specific Volunteer Brigade to receive their donations or ACS will simply give the donated items where most needed within the turtle program. Currently, ACS funds/supplies ONE of the Volunteer Brigades for the duration of the nesting season. The Grupo IslaMar Brigade works one night each week with 6+ volunteers. With additional supply contributions from those wanting to help the Turtle Salvation Program, CVC can distribute excess supplies to other Volunteer Brigades that work on other nights.

In no way does American Community Services or Grupo Islamar profit from these endeavors. Both entities simply serve the community: one as an effective conduit for facilitation, the other doing all the actual turtle program work with volunteers. Stop by the Cozumel Volunteer Connection office anytime to look at photos of the turtles and volunteers in action as well as make contributions.

CVC is located at 602-B [Upstairs] Raphael Melgar - Next to the Naval Base - Phone: 869-0504

Guidelines for
Turtle Observation...

Sometimes, tourists visiting the bars inside the nesting areas find themselves having to leave after dark at the request of Police or military personnel. If this happens to you, please do your part to help the turtles by following these guidelines during turtle nesting season:

• Use only parking lights between Mescalito's and Paradise Café
• Drive slowly because volunteers are walking on the roadways in low light conditions
• Be quiet because loud noises scare turtles back into the sea without laying eggs
• Never illuminate the beach or ocean in nesting areas
• Observe turtles from the roadside only
• Do not walk on beaches at night during the nesting season

Please Note: Federal law prohibits touching, molesting or disturbing turtles or their nests. Violators will be prosecuted and are subject to fines, penalties, and jail sentences.

Questions or for more information...

If you would like to donate supplies used by the volunteer brigades, please use the list above to make purchases and then email for drop off instructions.

If you have any questions about the Turtle Program, please email turtles@cozumelinsider.com.
NOTE: Email are handled on first-come, first-serve basis by volunteers. Please allow 1 week for a response.

Those wanting to participate and work with a Brigade for 1 or 2 nights during their vacation stay must request permission in advance, be approved and be assigned to a Volunteer Brigade. NOTE: Annual Turtle nesting activity runs May 15 through November 15 only.

To make a request to participate or observe please visit:
Turtle Brigade Participation Application or Observation Request Form
NOTE: Email requests are submitted to an approval process and are handled on first-come, first-serve basis. Please allow 1 week for a response.

[1] Program information courtesy of http://www.cozumelinsider.com/turtles;

    Cozumel Volunteer Connection in partnership with the Municipio de Cozumel
     Project Coordinators: Sherri Davis & Jose Martin Coral