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Across world cultures, turtles are revered for their intelligence, determination and longevity; sea turtles, especially. Their distinctive silhouette is a readily-recognized symbol for nature conservation and environmental awareness internationally.

In Troncones, sea turtles are treated like royalty. Their role in preserving the dunes, cutting sea grass and sustaining natural rhythms was recognized here long before the ecology movement took shape.

Those who fish and surf out of Troncones and Saladita often have sea turtle “stories”, many of them along the lines of how a sea turtle raised its head out of the water, like an arm with a clinched fist, making them notice something they would have otherwise missed.

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Some of the world’s largest sea turtles, the leatherbacks, start their lives on the beaches of Mexico, including Troncones. As large as those get, life starts out for them as vulnerable eggs left buried along the dunes. When they hatch, which they often do as a group, at dawn or dusk, they head towards the ocean, wiggling their tiny bodies across the sand to get “home”.

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Pacific leatherbacks are an endangered species; only 2300 adult females remain and it's estimated that only 1 in 1000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood.

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The primary nesting season for leatherback turtles in Troncones is during the autumn and winter months, starting in September and continuing into early January.

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You will find turtle encampments along the beach in Troncones, near Tres Santos Hotel, and in Majahua, near El Muro. Those encampments are places where volunteers have re-located nests and eggs so the turtles have a better chance of surviving.

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Go to Tres Santos and El Muro to learn about upcoming turtle releases and opportunities to volunteer. Or, for more information, call or follow:

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