PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO—The CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa has started a new program aimed at helping female turtles lay eggs and hatchlings to make it to sea. Guests are welcomed to take part in the conservation effort. CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort has created a summer tradition and is again inviting guests to take part in a educational vacation experience—the “Secretos del Mar” Sea Turtle Rescue Program, unique among Puerto Vallarta hotels. Guests are encouraged to spend time with a local biologist, learn more about the endangered species and participate in combing the beach so female turtles have a groomed surface on which to lay their eggs.
Following the procedures established by the National Institute of Fisheries and the Fishing & Marine Biology Station of the University of Guadalajara, the resort’s work coincides with the sea turtle season, which begins in June and continues through December, as sea turtles breach the water to come ashore and lay their eggs. However, the daily activities of a beach resort are hardly a safe place for a turtle nest. Therefore, under the supervision of biologist Oscar Aranda, the resort staff patrols the beaches to gather turtle eggs. The eggs are then transported to the sea turtle nursery for incubation.
Turtles Released Each Evening
Approximately 45 days after the sea turtles lay their eggs, the hatchlings emerge from the sand and are ready to be released on the beach, with the aid of the recreational staff and the public. Tradition holds that each child names their baby sea turtle, wishes them luck and sets them free to find their way to the water. Since the baby turtles face threats to their survival from land predators, they are released at night. Baby sea turtle releases are held every evening at 7:30 pm at the CasaMagna Marriott beach.
In 2010, this Puerto Vallarta resort helped bring more than 1,000 nests to the nursery, which totaled nearly 72,000 eggs. When the time came, guests and staff at the Puerto Vallarta hotel watched as 53,150 baby turtles scooted towards the water.
An interesting fact: sea turtles return to the same beach where they are born to lay their own eggs. As a result, the beach of CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta will prove a safe haven for these hatchlings to lay future eggs, thereby ensuring many new generations to come.
Go to the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort for more information.
