Turtle Release at Palmarito Beach, Puerto Escondido - Mexico

Our time in Mexico has been spent enjoying the exquisite culture, food and the activities, namely the beaches and the creatures of the sea.

The Turtle (La Tortuga)
Our 5 year old has been begging to go see the baby turtles and release them into the sea since she heard that there is such a thing.

So, towards the evening and just before the sun goes down, Hotel Camino del Sol, where we were staying at, had a bus pick us up and take us to Palmarito Beach (declared one of the top three most important sea turtle nesting grounds in the world).

The 15 minute ride from Puerto Escondido to Bajos de Chila was scenic and enjoyable. We passed by a mango grove, a papaya grove, peanut patch and some other areas where the land was being utilized and producing its bounty.

Once we arrived at the beautiful wide span of sandy beach,

We were assigned a guide that will teach us all about turtles, their habitat and finally releasing them into the sea...

There are 7 species of sea turtles in the World:
Leatherback.
Green Turtle.
Hawksbill.
Loggerhead.
Olive Ridley.
Kemp's Ridley.
Flatback.

Six of the 7 species of sea turtles in the world nest on Mexican beaches. Flat turtles are the only species not found in Mexico as they only nest in Australia.

Palmarito Beach (where we are at) contains 4 of the 7 species of sea turtles in the world.

Unfortunately, there are some communities in Mexico that have and are accustomed to eating the sea turtle which has put them on the endangered list. This has spurred turtle preservation projects and organization like Vive Mar to protect the sea turtle and their nesting grounds. The beaches protected by such projects as the Vive Mar have 24 hour patrol to protect the turtles and gather and take the eggs to an enclosed area where they are kept until they hatch.

Next is where we come in - we get to assist and experience the release of the baby turtles into the sea. A fee is charged in order to raise money for this cause as it is a nonprofit and non government funded project.

We were not allowed to touch them as they are frail, so a bowl to handle them to be released into the sea.

Once we had our cute little turtle in the bowl we would swoop down and allow the turtle to walk towards the sea.

Never once did a turtle go the wrong way or turn around as if to say I don't want to go into this deep, dark and dangerous sea. I guess they don't know what they don't know. They keep on doing what they are innately suppose to do - go towards the sea and hopefully survive.

The irony of it all is there are a lot that do not survive as the birds came to feast when the turtles get released. But on a positive note, there were a lot more released than what count of birds came in. So hopefully some will grow up to be mighty, old and strong.

...And then return once again to Palmarito Beach to have their babies. As the circle of life continues...