TULUM, Mexico – The 21st edition of the Sea Turtle Festival is gearing up as environmental authorities prepare to share information about the progress of the nesting season for these remarkable creatures in Quintana Roo, all while raising awareness among attendees.
Karla Itzel Trujano Rivero, President of the Committee for the Protection, Conservation, and Management of Sea Turtles in Quintana Roo, revealed that this event is set to commence on October 21st at Akumal Beach and will continue until the 23rd of the same month, expecting an audience of approximately 600 people.
“A Mayan ceremony will take place on the beach at three in the afternoon. From here, we will embark on a procession to the town of Akumal and return to the square, where there will be games, workshops, and numerous activities for the general public,” she elaborated.
On the 22nd, the festival will continue at the Mayan court in Tulum at three in the afternoon, commencing with another procession. Visitors will encounter stalls from institutions engaged in sea turtle conservation activities, as well as games, contests, and dancing.
“Our closing event will be on Monday, the 23rd, at the sea turtle sanctuary of Xcacel Xcacelito, where we will reward the winners of a traditional drawing competition. This year, we will use these drawings to create a collective story. Additionally, there will be a sand sculpture contest,” she added.
Trujano Rivero explained that the festival also serves as a strategy to share with the public the outcomes of the awareness and environmental education activities from the sea turtle conservation programs.
According to the latest information from the Committee for the Protection, Conservation, and Management of Sea Turtles in the state, in 2023, over 3,522 nests of loggerhead turtles have been registered, with more than 80,000 hatchlings returning to the sea.
For the white turtle species, there have been more than 29,800 nests and over 103,000 hatchlings released. Regarding the hawksbill turtle, there have been over 140 nestings and four nests of the leatherback turtle.
All of this remarkable conservation work occurs along the Quintana Roo coastlines, under the supervision of authorities from all levels of government and environmental associations involved in 17 conservation programs.
