Near the unspoiled beach in front of Pueblo Bonito Pacifica and Sunset Beach Resorts, there is a sanctuary for sea turtles. Baby turtle hatching tends to occur towards the end of each year
November is a busy time of year for Carlos Villalobos, manager of the resort community’s Sea Turtle Protection Program. According to Villalobos, "We shielded approximately 16,000 nests and released more than one million baby turtles into the sea over the last 20 years."
It all began when Villalobos was a security officer at Sunset Beach in 2003. He traveled to Costa Rica to participate as a scientific research assistant in the Green Turtle Program of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC), a prestigious research institute. When he returned to the Pueblo Bonito Resort in 2003, he made sure 83 turtle nests were secured.
Currently, more than 2,000 nests are protected per season. “The program has been a resounding success,” Villalobos enthused. “The olive ridley turtle population in particular is recovering favorably.”
The olive ridley turtle gets its name from the olive green color of its heart-shaped shell. The species is among the smallest of the world’s sea turtles. The number of olive ridleys have been reduced due to overexploitation for turtle meat and eggs. Their breeding colony populations on the Pacific Coast of Mexico are listed as endangered.
This turtle protection program at Pueblo Bonito Resorts, as one of the pioneering hospitality companies in Cabo seeking to safeguard turtle nests from predators. The interactive program’s mission is to return turtle hatchlings to the sea. This not only boosts the turtles survival rate, but is also vital to the region’s ecosystem.
'The presence of turtles in the marine and coastal ecosystems where they live and reproduce is of vital importance for the life that develops in these places,” Villalobos stated. 'Because everything in nature is interrelated, turtles play a unique role in the preservation of the resorts shoreline.'
As environmental custodians, Pueblo Bonito Golf & Spa Resorts and now Quivira Los Cabos have joined together to educate residents and visitors about active conservation, and the releasing of hatchlings from their protected nests.
Villalobos noted that the incubation period is 45 days, so eggs deposited this month will most likely hatch in December. In addition to the olive ridley turtle, Los Cabos also receives the black turtle and the leatherback turtle. The leatherback turtle can measure up to 7 feet and a weight of over 2,000 pounds.
Guests and owners of the Pueblo Bonito resorts can join conservation team members to carry the hatchlings of sea turtles to the shallow surf at sunset. This greatly enhances their chances of survival.
Pueblo Bonito Golf & Spa Resorts in Cabo San Lucas include the adults-only Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Golf & Spa Resort, and the family-friendly Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Golf & Spa Resort. Pueblo Bonito Rosé Resort & Spa and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos, both located on El Médano beach, are right in the middle of all the Cabo action. The staff will happily guide guests to when and where to help with hatchlings release into the ocean.
Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos Resort is a stunning Mexican Hacienda-style oasis offering elegant guest villas among lush, tropical gardens. Overlooking a private beach on the Emerald Sea of Cortez, the resort is also a turtle sanctuary. One of nature's most incredible events happens annually right at Hacienda del Mar. Thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles will hatch and take their first steps towards the sea with the help of caring humans.
Taking care of the environment is one of the top priorities at Hacienda del Mar. Yearly they receive and care for around 10,000 baby sea turtles. The National Program for the Protection of the Sea Turtles has contributed greatly to saving several species from extinction in Baja California Sur.
On the resort's Facebook page, they share that since 2001, 'a total of 600 hotel employees have received professional training to help preserve sea turtles.' Many will return to the shore of Hacienda del Mar to lay their own eggs, just like their mothers did.
Next to the resort's Tortugas Sandy Toes Bar is the Golfina Turtle Sanctuary. Through the years, Hacienda del Mar has been the headquarters for the care and protection of these turtles. On a sign next to the protected and sheltered area, it states that they 'have nurtured and released 9,122 turtles into the sea each year.'
This fenced off sanctuary on the sand provides a safer environment for turtle eggs to hatch and travel back to the ocean to reach adulthood. Resort guests staying during the hatching months have the opportunity to help guide the baby turtles into the sea.
Now is the time to visit Los Cabos during turtle and whale season. Hacienda del Mar has some special offers during this season.
