Sea turtles at Las Alamandas

SEA TURTLES
Born on the Beaches of Las Alamandas Resort
Each year, thousands of Sea Turtles make their way through the warm waters of the Pacific to lay their eggs on Mexico beaches.

Because the Sea Turtle reproductive cycle obeys its lunar phases, these female turtles come ashore mostly during fuller moons, many of them laying their eggs on the pristine beaches of Las Alamandas Resort. What results is a spectacular sea turtle hatching season, witnessed by a handful of awestruck Las Alamandas guests, most predominantly during the months of August through November.

During this period, the Las Alamandas volunteers rescues the sea turtle eggs from natural predators such as birds and tejones, and carefully places them in hatching rooms where they are closely monitored. Upon hatching, they are brought down to the hotel where guests gather together to release these newly born turtles into the ocean during a sunset celebration. The turtles are often named, photos are taken, and a magical experience is had by all. Sea Turtles have existed since the ''Triassic Period'' over 2000 million years ago, and play a vital role in the ongoing evolution of life.

Within its own environment, for example, the Sea Turtle primary diet consists of medusa and jellyfish, toxic to most other sea creatures and a great nuisance to swimmer and fisherman alike. If the Sea Turtle were to disappear from the oceans, the result would be an over-population of medusa and jellyfish that would then over-feast on their primary food source- plankton, thereby creating a great shortage of food for other species. From the moment an egg is laid in a nest; the Sea Turtle faces many dangerous confrontations in a fight for survival. On land, the nest can be trampled by livestock or destroyed by natural predators. In the ocean, the turtles are a tasty treat to sharks.

But the Sea Turtle worst enemy is man, who steals eggs from the nest, hatches, and kills the turtle for its meat, skin and shell. Fishermen trap the turtles in their nets while fishing and cause death by asphyxia, or provoke their demise by littering the ocean with plastic bags, which the Sea Turtles mistake for medusa and choke on. On the other hand, man has the ability to be the Sea Turtle greatest protector and a powerful aid in their survival. Recently, Sea Turtles have become a focus for ecological groups, and thanks to the conservational efforts and support of such private organizations in Mexico as Las Alamandas Resort, campaigns have been initiated to protect them. Working closely with the Mexican Secretary of Protection to the Environment, Las Alamandas Resort strives to continue serving as an altruistic labor of protection for the Sea Turtle, and for the environment as well.

Number of Turtle Nest so far #182

Number of eggs collected so far #16,920

For more information on Sea Turtle conservation efforts, or to visit Las Alamandas during sea Turtle Season, please contact Jose Garcia Lomeli at
(52) 322-285-5500.Interesting fact: Sea Turtles return to deposit their eggs on the same place where they were born- within a margin of about 50 meters.

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