Banderas Bay and Riviera Nayarit has long been a top tourist destination and locations like Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta are the crown jewels, so to speak, of the region. The tourist trade has done wonders for these destinations, making them vibrant and bustling, What is particularly enchanting is the way that the area’s wildlife lives side by side with tourism: sea turtle season being a great example of how a vacation in Riviera Nayarit will have you up close and personal with one of nature’s most beautiful creatures.
Sea Turtles in Riviera Nayarit
Sea Turtles are a beloved and longstanding part of the Riviera Nayarit ecological make-up, but in recent years their numbers have declined. Therefore, for the last thirty years Riviera Nayarit locals, hotels, restaurants and tour companies have been getting together to fight for the survival of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle, and other similar species.
The beaches of Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta are host to swathes of turtles every year between July and December, as they ready themselves to bring forth the next generation. Pregnant sea turtles spend hours and hours digging the perfect nest for their eggs, and it’s not uncommon to see a whole group of them waddling about the beach in front of Villa La Estancia Residence in Riviera Nayarit at night during turtle season. It really is quite a sight to see!
Once the turtles deem their nests to be satisfactory, they will lay their eggs, bury them and return to the sea for another year. The cycle begins again when the baby Turtles hatch. Baby Sea Turtles have a rocky start in life; between airborne, landlocked and sea dwelling predators, poachers, and the struggle to even get out of their shells, let alone the danger of being dug up and devoured before hatching. Statistics reckon that 1 in 1000 will make it to adulthood. So you can see that they need all the help they can get.
Helping Sea Turtles in Riviera Nayarit
This is where guests and owners at Villa La Estancia Residences come in and the many dedicated conservationists. It’s very easy to do your bit for the endangered Sea Turtles in Riviera Nayarit while you’re on vacation in Banderas Bay. For a start you can be sure that you don’t interfere with the females while they lay and bury their eggs! You should also report anyone who does to the hotel or to local authorities.
Also, you can support one of the many conservation projects in the city by visiting open days and attending hatchings. Attending turtle releases really is beneficial; research has shown that spectators at such events ward off some of the turtle’s natural predators as well as poachers! Ask the activities team at Villa La Estancia Residences to tell you where the next sea turtle release will be in Riviera Nayarit. You may find there is one planned right outside the hotel.
Nothing makes a vacation truly magical quite like seeing these adorable reptiles scurrying towards the sea for the first time!