2021-2022 sea turtle season started in Puerto Vallarta

Jorge Antonio Quintero Alvarado, Puerto Vallarta’s mayor, officially kicked off the 2021-2022 sea turtle season on July 1 at the “Playa del Holi” hatchery by the mouth of the Pitillal river, where he symbolically planted a nest.

City officials were present at the ceremony, along with Capt. Mauricio Peña on behalf of the Mexican Navy, and Rohini Suya Velasco, from the organization ” Conservación de Especies Maravillosas de Badeba“.

Helios Hernández Hurtado, deputy director of City Ecology and Environment Department, explained that before the chelonians arrive, they would be on the watch on all of Puerto Vallarta’s beaches, protecting and transferring their eggs to this hatchery and Boca de Tomates.

Last year 260 thousand offspring were born from the 3,300 eggs they looked after, with an 85 percent hatching rate. In the last eight years, we have made efforts to protect roughly 28,800 eggs and produce approximately 1.6 million hatchlings. We have to say this is a success.

This is the outcome of the city’s efforts, as Puerto Vallarta is the only municipality on the coast of Jalisco with a sea turtle conservation program; there are other camps, but they are not municipal, but of civil associations or other organizations.

The biologist in charge of the turtle hatchery, Ildefonso Ramos, stated that they will be patrolling the beach day and night until December. He advised Vallartans and tourists who witness the arrival of sea turtles to follow these instructions:

• Do not approach the turtle when it comes out to spawn, since this may lead it to return to the sea early
• Phone 911 to get the City’s Green Patrol and the Environment Department
• Do not touch the turtle’s shell, as it may be dangerous both for humans and turtles.