Turtle historic analysis in four beaches of Akumal 2020-2023

Program staff for 2023

Turtle Camp

Program Coordinator: Claudia León García;

Technicians: Jose Luis Miranda, Alan Gerardo Damián Rangel, Alicia Montiel, Estela Perez Rivera;

27 Resident volunteers (Guardians of Akumal´s Turtles); 8 Volunteers

Turtle Camp

The Turtle program or Turtle Camp, as it is widely known, is the most emblematic program for CEA since it began in 1995. It represents an opportunity to work closely with the local community both from the tourist area and from Akumal town.

Goal

To protect, conserve and research Akumal’s nesting sea turtles as well as their nests and hatchlings through the work directly performed on the beach and outreach and education activities.

How we worked

The program has been working since 1995 under a federal permit from SEMARNAT for four beaches in Akumal (Akumal South, Playa Tortugas or Jade Bay, Akumal Bay and Half Moon Bay) during the turtle season from April to December.

The nomenclature to identify the beaches is:

AS; Akumal South; BA: Akumal Bay; BML: Half Moon Bay; PT: Playa Tortugas.

We get direct support from volunteers, with an average stay of eleven weeks, technicians hired for the season, Guardians, local residents of Akumal, some of them with experience participating with CEA in previous turtle seasons, Professional internships and the direct collaboration of security guards at the different beaches.

Also we had the active and invaluable participation of Linda Mulgrew, Terry Richardson and Laura Bush who helped in getting extraordinary funds and logistics. We also have the sponsorship from Lisa Wilson, a local resident from Half Moon bay.

Special collaboration and support by Hotel Akumal Caribe Secrets, Akumal Bay Beach & Wellness Resort and Las Villas Akumal.

Beach patrolling starts depending on the first tracks but normally in mid April with morning walks (6-8 am).

Patrolling

Once the number of turtle tracks increases hence presence of turtle nests on the beach, night beach patrolling starts which takes place in mid May (21:00 - 00:00am). As the baby turtles start hatching evening patrolling takes place (17:00 – 19:00).

We record the date and beach of the first and last nest as well as the hatchlings.

Historic trends: 1995-2023

This is the oldest program at CEA with continuous work since 1995. The historic trends of nests of three main species show a constant increase since, which is a great achievement for the conservation of protected species in Mexico (fig. 1). This also shows the highest record season in 2023.

Historic trends of nests for Loggerhead and Green turtles registered by CEA in 4 beaches of Akumal during 1995-2023.

Google Maps with Zonification

For better management and spatial data analysis the four beaches are subdivided into transects with a separation of 100m between transects. However, coordinates of properties, houses, condominiums or hotels were divided into every 50m and for hotels comprising more than 100m name of sections were considered

From South to North the beaches are Akumal South (AS) with 6 zones and 27 properties or lots; Playa Tortugas or Jade Bay (PT) with 5 zones and 21 properties; Akumal Bay (BA) with 12 zones and 29 sections; and Half Moon Bay (BML) with 9 zones (0-8) and 27 properties.

Number of nests at four beaches in Akumal (2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons)

Herein we present the total number of nests for the Loggerhead and Green turtles at four beaches in Akumal. For the scale the nests of Hawksbill turtles (2 nests) were not included.

The maps represent the nesting areas.

Based on or data collected for the last three previous seasons (2020-2023) for both species, the Loggerhead and Green turtles, the total number of nests recorded for the four beaches was of 1,311 nests for 2020, 729 nests for 2021, for 2022 953 and most recently, for 2023 1,535 total nests.

The scientific knowledge on the turtle´s life cycle suggested an oscillation or alternate fluctuation of nests would take place for the historic trends and specially in the last previous years with an expected low season as it was witnessed and shared by other turtle camps as part of the State Sea Turtle Protection and Conservation Committee. The 2020 season was relatively high (historically second highest for Akumal records) then for 2021 it dropped to almost half of previous year and rose again in 2022. Unexpectedly the 2023 turtle season broke records with historic highest nest both species. What is more, the last season we received two specimens of the Hawksbill species which is not very common in Akumal.

Overall, for the period of time analysed in this report, Akumal South registered a total of 620 nests of both species. Similarly, Akumal Bay registered a total of 1,641 nests, Playa Tortugas registered 1,538 nests and for Half Moon Bay 650 nests of both species have been recorded.

Maps of Nestings per Zones and Species

The four beaches are subdiveded into transects with a separation of 100m between transects. From South to North the beaches are Akumal South (AS), Playa Tortugas or Jade Bay (PT), Akumal Bay (BA) and Half Moon Bay (BML).

Analysis per zone at Half Moon Bay (HMB)

We analized the information obtained per zone and site (name of the property, condo, hotel or beach front) recorded, with the aim of interpreting and downscaling the processes that may affect the nesting of turtles along the beach for HMB.

In the analysis it was included the name of the property, a very important aspect that may allow CEA support any decision taking for administrators-owners-associations regarding the fulfillment with the different norms and laws that protect the marine turtles. This also represents an opportunity for better coordination and collaboration with the administrators-owners and overall for better promotion, management and operation of our turtle program.

Due to the conformation of the reef of Akumal the four beaches were more susceptible to nesting by turtle females in the mid section of the beach. Loggerhead turtles prefer nesting closer to the water fringe whereas Green turtles lay their nests on any part of the beach, preferably on the upper part, closer to the dunes-buildings-shades.

Nests per zone at HMB for Loggerhead turtle

Total number of nests per zone at BML for Loggerhead and Green turtle during 2020-2023.

We summed up all the nests for both species for the period of 2020-2023 at Half Moon Bay. From this preliminary analysis it can be seen that zones 4-7 have been in the last four years the most important zones for nesting. This also shows that the ground at those locations are prepared by the turtles.

At property level Tanik is the most relevant roperty for nesting of both the three species for Half Moon Bay.

Loggerhead nesting: 2020 season

Total number of nests per zone at BML for Loggerhead turtle during 2020.

Loggerhead nesting: 2021 season

Total number of nests per zone at BML for Loggerhead turtle during 2021.

Loggerhead nesting: 2022 season

Total number of nests per zone at BML for Loggerhead turtle during 2022.

Green nesting: 2020 season

Total number of nests per zone at BML for Green turtle during 2020.

Green nesting: 2021 season

Total number of nests per zone at BML for Green turtle during 2021.

Green nesting: 2022 season

Total number of nests per zone at BML for Green turtle during 2022.

Comparative per Beach 2019-2023

#Recorded activity for Loggerhead turtle (2019-2022)

#Recorded activity for Green turtle (2019-2022)

#Historic nest per zone

#Morphometric size per beach