Isla Contoy: Sea Turtle Sanctuary

Isla Contoy: Sea Turtle Sanctuary

The paradisiacal Contoy Island in the municipality of Isla Mujeres in Quintana Roo, recently became a Natural Protected Area with the category of sea turtle nesting sanctuary, making it one of the 17 Mexican beaches that have been catalogued as sanctuaried by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). Contoy Island´s protected area covers a surface of 10.7 hectares.

Let´s remember that the beaches of Quintana Roo are known for being one of the favorite nesting sites for different species of sea turtles, which are protected from the moment they arrive at the beach until the release of their hatchlings. It is important to mention that during 2022 almost one million sea turtle hatchlings were released on Cancun´s beaches, most of them were white turtles, although leatherback turtle nests were also recorded, specified Tania Fernández, municipal director of Ecology.

According to information provided by Semarnat, nesting beaches are the most important sites in the life cycle of sea turtles, since here is where they develop their reproductive stage by laying their eggs in nests built in the sand.
The other 16 sanctuaries are located on different beaches in Mexico, in the states of Tamaulipas, Yucatán, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Guerrero, where sea turtles of the following species come to nest: olive ridley, leatherback, hawksbill, white or green, loggerhead and olive ridley.