Release a Baby Sea Turtle
An Amazing & Freeing Experience
This seemed like such an amazing experience that I couldn’t pass up!
I love turtles 🐢 and releasing a baby sea turtle was definitely on my bucket list!
Watching them go free into the ocean… How beautiful! 🥰
It was one of the most beautiful experiences ever!! I loved it!!
This experience is definitely on my list of Must-Do things in Puerto Escondido!
Getting There
The baby sea turtle release is at Playa Bacocho in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Most people take a taxi there and back. Another option is to join an excursion that takes you there and back.
I would recommend getting there at least 30 minutes early, as there gets to be a long line up.
If you’re waiting for a cab to leave the tour, they know that lots of people will need cabs from Playa Bacocho, so lots of taxis will show up after the release.
I went on a day when it was a cloudy, but if it’s sunny I would recommend sunblock, a hat, perhaps a shade umbrella, water, and light clothing.
It only costs 150 pesos as of February 2023. Most people take a taxi there and back. It costs less than 100 pesos from the downtown area for 1 way.
Another option is to join an excursion that takes you there and back.
Bacocho Beach
I have marked this beach on this map for you to see where it is.
There are also hotel options that you can check out here. You can book your hotel here too!
This beach is different than the others in Puerto Escondido because it’s protected.
You can chill at this protected beach and see thousands of small shells everywhere in the sand! Everyone just hangs out on the sand and watches the waves.
It’s nice because there is no fishing, smoking, or pets allowed.
There are also no bars, restaurants or other services here. You won’t find a party at Bacocho Beach, it’s very chill.
There is a bathroom at the entrance to the beach. There is also a good-sized parking lot.
It has a roped off area that you can only go into if you have paid to release a sea turtle.
What happens...
After you pay you’re given a half of a dried coconut shell, then you wait for everyone else to pay and receive their coconut shell.
You can check out a fenced in area with the sea turtle eggs. They are covered in these cones and hills.
Hold on to your coconut shell and keep it clean. This is where the baby turtle will go. You can’t touch the turtle because touching it will reduce its chances of survival once its released.
Education
After everyone has their sea turtle they split the group into Spanish and English speakers.
They have staff that speak both languages there.
They will teach you about the 4 different types of turtles that have been found in the Bacocho beach area, although now. There are 7 types of turtles, and 4 of them can be found at this area of this beach!!
The types of turtles are:
The kind that we released was the Olive Ridley turtle.
They talk about their causes and about sea turtles and the threats that sea turtles face.
They said that only 1% of baby turtles have a chance of survival normally because their shells are used for making things, also birds and other predators try to eat them.
So, with this program they have found that there is a 20% chance that the turtles will survive! Amazing!!
Lastly, they give you instructions about how to care for the turtle while you’re holding it in the coconut shell. They show you to how to hold it and how to safely release it.
An Environmental Cause
This company, Vive Mar, has been doing this for 10 years. Check them out at: Vive Mar.
Vive Mar protect protects 27 km of coastline that goes from Bacocho Beach to Vijia Beach.
Their goal is to help increase the population of the sea turtles. They give an educational speech about sea turtles at risk and how we can help them before you get your sea turtle.
They also work with other other causes such as:
- Environmental education program
- Reforestation of mangroves
- Eco-Techiques
- Bird Conservation
- Beach Cleaning
- Turtle Re-population
They even have a program where you can ‘adopt a nest’ program. This is when you can support the monitoring of the population of sea turtles.
You get a certificate that you’re contributing to the environment, a special mention in their networks and, photos and videos of the turtles being released.
A Chance at Survival!
When the turtles are being released there are seagulls they swoop down and try to eat the baby turtles.
For this reason, they have 1 or 2 staff members that throw sand in the air to stop the seagulls from swooping down and eating the turtles that are being released.
They watch to make sure that the sea turtles are bring released safely too.
They also talk about how turtle shells are being used to make products and about their threats.
Another place that has turtle releases, but not as often is Puerto Vallarta.
Watching them go FREE!
You have to have patience as the turtles sometimes don’t leave the shell right away. It may take them a couple of minutes to leave the shell, or they may leave right away.
After they may be still on the sand or slowly crawl towards the ocean waves! 🌊
Everyone must stay behind the line and not touch the turtles.
It’s beautiful to watch as they slowly crawl towards the ocean naturally.
Some are fast, well, as far as turtles go…
Other just sit there for a while, then take a few steps and stop…
Good for All!
It’s so beautiful to watch the baby turtles go into the ocean freely!!
I can’t recommend this activity enough!
Not only are you doing something that supports environmental causes- your payments goes towards helping different environmental causes, you are also helping to raise the population of the sea turtles in the ocean!
Plus, it’s a very amazing experience!!
If you’re looking for more great things to do in Puerto Escondido check this out: Must-Do things in Puerto Escondido!
Have you ever done something like this? I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
Would you do the baby seat turtle release? In your opinion, what makes this important?
Looking for more to do in Puerto Escondido?
After you release a baby sea turtle, you may be looking for other activities or tours in Puerto Escondido.
Check out these tours and activities in Puerto Escondido, plus, you can even book them here too!
Choose a great hotel or hostel in Puerto Escondido
You can book right here and be all set your trip to Puerto Escondido, Mexico!!
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