By Dr. Melania Lopez Castro | Sea Turtle Conservation Program Coordinator
2025 marks our 36th year working to protect and monitor key nesting beaches in the Yucatán Peninsula. This is a huge milestone for us, and it wouldn't have been possible without you, our donors. Thirty-six years may sound like a long time, but when working with species that take 20 to 30 years to mature and reproduce, our efforts represent the protection of just one sea turtle generation. That is why we always think in terms of long-term actions.
Almost one month ago, on November 14th, we wrapped up the 2025 nesting season. We completed the season with only one ATV operating at the El Cuyo nesting beach. In Celestún and Holbox, our technicians had to walk to record nests, which was an extremely demanding task. Despite these limitations, nesting numbers were strong: 5,094 green turtle nests, 3,074 hawksbill nests, 2 leatherback nests, and 1 loggerhead nest, similar to those recorded in 2024.
Hatchling production was also encouraging! Based on nest content analyses, we estimate that 325,177 hawksbill, 553,802 green, and 104 leatherback hatchlings made it safely from their nests to the ocean. The conditions of these three nesting beaches continue to be ideal for hatchling development, with emergence success ranging from 83-96% in hawksbill turtles and 87-95% in green turtles. We also re-encountered a female hawksbill turtle that has been nesting in this region for three decades! She was first tagged in 1995 in El Cuyo and our team spotted her again this season. Events like this remind us why protecting these beaches matters. Conserving these sites is essential for the recovery of sea turtle populations and for giving our planet a chance to restore balance.
We would like to express our most sincere gratitude to each and every one of our donors this year. Your contributions, big or small, allow us to keep doing the good work to protect critical habitats for sea turtles. As the end of the year approaches, we wish you and your families all the best. May your generosity return to you many times over, and we hope to count on your support in the coming year.
With warm appreciation and sincere gratitude,
The Pronatura Península de Yucatán team.
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