The Guardians of the Nesting Sea Turtles of Cancun Gary Frisch - The Inquirer
go to original April 22, 2015

Sea Turtle Rescue in Cancun: Maya, Xcaret's Green Turtle (Xcaret)

For most sea turtles, crawling onto the beach at night to lay eggs is a risky proposition. Out of the water, they are achingly slow, ungainly and vulnerable. But in tourist meccas where hotel sprawl has rendered the coastline a virtual Monopoly board of development with 24/7 hubbub, the annual trek onto the sand becomes all the more treacherous.

Tourists, cameras in hand, camp out for a look at these massive tortugas, or worse, try to pet them or pose for pictures with them. Scaring easily, the turtles routinely return to the ocean without depositing their eggs, only to exert themselves on another night. This is called a "false crawl."

Some resort areas such as Cancun - that perennial destination for tequila- and rum-marinated Spring Breakers - have taken measures to ensure that nesting sea turtles go undisturbed. Partly out of commitment to the environment and the sparkling blue ocean upon which livelihoods depend, partly out of the economic benefit of nurturing what has become an added tourist attraction, some hotels have hatched programs to protect the turtles and their young while allowing visitors to still enjoy this amazing spectacle.

In Cancun, it seems, guarding sea turtles is right up there with Jet-Skiing and parasailing as must-do adventures.

Read the rest at philly.com

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