Sea Turtle Conservation

The Oaxacan coast around Puerto Escondido is one of Mexico's most important nesting grounds for olive ridley sea turtles. Several local organisations run conservation programs during the nesting season from June through December, and some offer volunteer opportunities and guided night walks to witness nesting females.

The most notable experience is watching a turtle release. Conservation centres collect eggs that would otherwise be taken by poachers or destroyed by human activity, incubate them in protected hatcheries, and release the hatchlings at night when they have a better chance of making it to the sea. Various operators offer night tours to watch nesting on the beach; ask tour operators on the Adoquín for the season's current options.

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Olive ridley sea turtles nest on the beaches around Puerto Escondido from June through December. Local conservation groups patrol the beaches at night during nesting season, collecting eggs from vulnerable areas and incubating them in protected hatcheries. Witnessing a release of newly hatched turtles — each one a centimetre of furious determination making for the sea — is something people talk about for years afterward.

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