The just-hatched baby turtles before being released into the ocean

At Royal Resorts we are proud to be part of the annual statewide protection campaign for these ancient creatures and have been watching over them every summer since 1985 at The Royal Mayan.

Fences protecting the turtle nests at The Royal Sands beach

We look forward to seeing them again next year and hope for an even better season. Thank you to everybody that has joined us for our Royal Resorts Turtle Release Program!

Participants releasing baby turtles - Royal Resorts Turtle Release Program

Turtle Nest at the Sands - Royal Resorts Turtle Release Program

Ready for the water - Royal Resorts Turtle Release Program

Ready to take off - Royal Resorts Turtle Release Program

Baby Turtles going into the sea for the first time

Do you care about the environment? Then you’ll love to know that Royal Resorts Cares too. In a pilot project at The Royal Sands, 175 rooftop solar panels have been installed to supply 50% of the hot water needed by the villas. If savings are as expected, an additional 175 panels will be considered for 2012 thus covering villa demand completely, and the project may also be extended to other resorts.

October 29 UPDATE:

Everyone’s invited to join us today, Friday October 29, at 8:00 p.m. in front of the “A” building at The Royal Sands. We’ll be releasing more just-hatched baby turtles into the sea as part of the Royal Resorts Turtle Protection Program. You can’t miss this experience! Just remember please: NO FLASH PHOTOS, as they hurt the little turtles’ eyes. Thanks and see you there.

Why not take a moment to share your experience with us? Please join us at The Royal Resorts Facebook Page to do so, or Email us your turtle photos

October 18 UPDATE:

Another week starts in paradise! We’re happy to report that we had a lot of visitors helping us during our last Turtle Release Program at The Royal Sands. Hundreds of just-hatched turtle babies ventured into the ocean for their first time.

Here are some pictures of the event. Since it was at night, no flash was used and there was some sea breeze hitting the camera lens, the quality might be a little low.

We hope you enjoy them as much as we did, and hope to see you on our next Turtle Release Program.

Fences protecting the turtle nests at The Royal Sands beach

The just-hatched baby turtles before being released into the ocean

Staff instructing visitors to stay behind the protected area

Turtle babies going into the sea

And off they go! Members & guests releasing baby turtles

Were you there too? Have pictures to share with us? Please join us at The Royal Resorts Facebook Page to do so, or Email us your turtle photos

Warm regards from paradise!

October 15, 2010

Although the turtle-nesting season is winding down in the Mexican Caribbean, there are many eggs still to hatch and babies to release at Royal Resorts.

Baby Turtles at The Royal Sands

Each summer, our resort security guards participate in the Turtle Protection program, watching over green and loggerhead turtles while they laboriously dig their nests on the beach at night and then lay their eggs in the sand. The eggs are subsequently moved to the safety of a corral further up the beach and out of harm’s way. Forty-five to 60 days later, they begin to hatch and the babies struggle clear of the shells. It may take them over an hour to emerge and they are exhausted when they do. However, by the time the sun goes down, they are fully revived, no doubt responding to the mysterious call of the ocean.

Baby Turtles going into the sea for the first time

Guards wait until it is dark and winged predators such as seagulls, frigate birds and pelicans have gone to roost before releasing the babies to begin life at sea. Resort guests are invited to participate in this beautiful summer experience by giving their turtle a name and saying a prayer as they release it. No flash photography please.

The latest turtle count shows that as of October 11, 191 nests and 21,553 eggs have been registered for the season at The Royal Caribbean and 97 nests and 10,508 eggs at The Royal Sands. This is good news for turtle lovers who were anxious to see how our summer visitors would fare this year.

With many of the eggs yet to hatch at both resorts, members and guests planning a trip in the next two or three weeks may still be lucky enough to witness a Turtle Release and don’t forget that you can see turtles all year round at Xcaret.

We visited these little dudes this afternoon and found them taking a well-earned nap, a real Mexican siesta! As you can see from the photos, they do not look very energetic. After all, it is hard work chipping away at the egg shell and it takes them over an hour, sometimes even longer to struggle free. However, they soon begin to revive as the sun goes down and the sea breeze picks up.

Once they enter the sea, male turtles spend the rest of their lives in the water but the females return to the beaches where they were born to dig their nests. We hope and pray that in 12 to 15 years time many of these green turtles will lay their own eggs on the Mexican Caribbean coast.

So we welcome our newborns with a hearty bienvenidas tortuguitas and we wish them Godspeed as they begin their lives at sea.

As ever, we will keep you posted on our summer visitors from the sea and the miracle of new life that we are lucky enough to witness year after year on the shores of the Mexican Caribbean.

Each summer, we eagerly await the arrival of our oceangoing visitors, the sea turtles that nest on beaches throughout the Mexican Caribbean, and at 12:30 a.m. on June 13, The Royal Sands welcomed its first turtle of 2009. The green turtle in question dug her nest in the sand in front of Building A and laid a staggering 120 eggs! Security staff then collected the eggs and moved them to the safety of the corral where they will hatch in 45 to 60 days.

Royal Resorts has been participating in the statewide turtle campaign since 1985 and is proud to help protect these beautiful, ancient and sadly endangered creatures.