Help save 500,000 sea turtle hatchlings in Yucatan

Dear [donor first name],

We are very thankful for your support and the difference it makes in our work. We are excited to inform you that our teams are working hard to protect sea turtle nests. Female hawksbill turtles began arriving at the start of April, and our team immediately began their beach surveys. As the nesting season progresses, we are approaching the first peak in late May when most hawksbills come to shore. The second peak will occur later once the green turtles start to nest.

As of the end of April, our team has protected 21 nests in Celestún, 26 in El Cuyo, and 65 in Holbox. That's 112 hawksbill nests protected in the first month of the season. While this is a good number, we have seen turtles struggling to build their nest and returning to the ocean without success. The extended heat waves and lack of rain in the region keep the sand too dry and collapse when the turtles start digging. We are hopeful that the arrival of rains will improve this situation. Another curious fact this season is that in El Cuyo, several hawksbill females have nested before sunset when they usually prefer to nest at night. The strange dry conditions of the beach could be causing this behavior; perhaps these turtles were desperate to lay their eggs after many failed attempts. We will keep an eye on this issue.

Our teams have also begun their environmental education talks in the three communities. They will visit schools to educate children and teenagers about their role in sea turtle conservation and to inspire them to protect biodiversity. Additionally, they are working with tourism service providers to educate them on what they should do when sea turtles nest on their properties to avoid disturbing them or damaging the nests and their valuable contents. The more people understand how to coexist with sea turtles and other species, the better for everyone.

Your support is crucial in enabling us to carry out these efforts. Every donation contributes to our mission of protecting and restoring sea turtles and their habitats. We kindly request you consider becoming a recurring donor to help us build a better world together.

Links:

• Visit our webpage to learn more about our program
• Check our social media for project updates
• Follow us on Instagram

    In 2023, our sea turtles faced challenges during the nesting season, which turned out to be one of the warmest in the last decade. The higher temperatures had an impact on nest success, resulting in fewer hatchlings compared to the previous season. Despite these challenges, we managed to meet our annual goal of saving 500,000 baby turtles. With your support, a total of 604,985 green and 216,810 hawksbill sea turtle hatchlings safely made their way to the ocean.

    Looking ahead to 2024, our field team is committed to working hard during the nesting season to achieve our goal once again. Additionally, we're introducing a new initiative to protect and restore the nesting habitat of sea turtles in El Cuyo. This involves collaborating with the tourism sector to raise awareness about the crucial role coastal dunes play, how tourism activities impact their stability, and how we can collectively adopt good practices to reduce negative impacts.

   It's not just about meeting goals; it's about forging a path towards a harmonious coexistence between nature and tourism. By fostering awareness and collaboration within the tourism sector, we aim to transform it into a force for good—a sustainable economic activity that not only benefits the community but safeguards the timeless legacy of sea turtles in the Yucatan Peninsula and beyond. We invite you to join us on this new venture. Together, we can create a new narrative where responsible tourism protects the legacy of sea turtles that echoes through the sands of time.

Links:

• Visit our web page to learn about our many projects
• Check our social media to learn about our work.