Releasing baby sea turtles in Playa Las Tortugas is a special experience. Each evening the team from our resident turtle camp brings the baby turtles they’ve hatched by hand down to the shore and guests are able to participate in their release.
The Playa Las Tortugas Turtle Hatchery
Steps away from our Playa Las Tortugas villas is the turtle hatchery, which is now an anchor for the newly created Santuario Playa Platanitos. Here you can help release the turtles, but also tour their facilities. You will see where they take the eggs after gathering them each evening from the nests that dot the beach for miles during the summer. They tend to the eggs carefully to keep away predators and bacteria. Once the turtles hatch, they are ready to be released.
How to release turtles in Playa Las Tortugas
Participating in the turtle release is simple. The safest approach is to visit the turtle camp during the day. Introduce yourself to the staff and ask what time they plan to release the turtles. It’s typically at about 5 pm just before sunset. Please also note a US$10 per person per day donation is appreciated, even if they don’t ask for it. They are often too polite to ask. This money helps support the very important work of the turtle camp.
The majority of the sea turtles you will see in Playa Las Tortugas are Olive Ridleys. They grow to about 75 pounds and live up to 50 years. Some turtles visit Playa Las Tortugas many times in their lifetime. But because of over-harvesting these turtles are considered endangered with few remaining nesting sites in the world.
How baby sea turtles are released in Playa Las Tortugas.
The turtle camp at Playa Las Tortugas exists because releasing baby sea turtles, also known as hatchlings, is a crucial step in their life cycle and must be done with care to maximize their chances of survival. The staff at the camp are experts at following the best practices for releasing baby sea turtles.
When is the best time to release the turtles?
The timing of the release of hatchlings is critical. That is why you’ll see the turtle camp staff release the hatchlings in the early morning when temperatures are cooler, which reduces the risk of overheating and predation. You will also see they often station staff members facing the shore. This is to ward off the resident black hawks which you’ll see perched in the coconut trees.
Thankfully, Playa Las Tortugas is naturally quiet with little artificial light, which greatly decreases the chances hatchlings will become disoriented and turn away from the ocean.
How to prepare to release the turtles.
It’s best to minimize handling of the hatchlings to avoid stressing them. That’s why the turtle camp staff are the ones who set the baby turtles out in the sand. However, they do allow you to handle the turtles after awhile to help the struggling ones through the surf. Please be sure to wash your hands prior with no sunscreen or bug spray on them. It’s nice that the turtle camp is right there on Playa Las Tortugas, so no transportation is necessary. And they are careful to place them in a cooler for their short trip to ensure they do not overheat.
How to release the turtles
When releasing the hatchlings, the staff will gently place them on the sand a few meters from the water’s edge. This allows them to imprint on the Playa Las Tortugas beach, a process critical for females to return to the same beach to nest years later. Ensure they have a clear, unobstructed path to the ocean. Do not place them directly in the water, as the crawl to the ocean helps strengthen their muscles and reduces the likelihood of disorientation.