Mexico • Bucket List • North America

Release Baby Sea Turtles in Puerto Vallarta

Welcome to beautiful Puerto Vallarta, where you can participate in a truly unique experience by assisting volunteers in saving and releasing baby sea turtles into the ocean. This activity is at the top of our list of things to do in Puerto Vallarta and is something you should not miss if you visit this amazing city. Now, this is not something that you can do any time of the year, so make sure to keep reading to find out the best times to release baby sea turtles in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Watch our video on Baby Turtle Release in Puerto Vallarta here! 🐢

When you take part in releasing the turtles in Puerto Vallarta, you will be contributing to the conservation efforts that ensure the baby turtles make it safely to the water. Before taking part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience, you will learn everything there is to know about baby sea turtles, what dangers they try to avoid, why they are an endangered species, and how to properly release the turtles into the water. We will also go over how to get to the Boca de Tomates turtle conservation and release camp in Puerto Vallarta. Let’s get to it!

OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLES IN PUERTO VALLARTA

Olive Ridley sea turtles are the most common species found on the beaches of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. The name of this turtle comes from the dark olive green color of its shell. They are the smallest type of sea turtle, but they are also the most common. The average Olive Ridley sea turtle lives for about 50 years, and despite being the most dominant species, they are federally listed as threatened and endangered, as well as internationally listed as vulnerable. Olive Ridley turtles in Puerto Vallarta are in danger of going extinct, but conservation efforts are making a big difference.

When is sea turtle nesting season in Puerto Vallarta?

Every year, the nesting season for sea turtles in Puerto Vallarta lasts from June to December. This is when the adult female turtles make their way across the open seas to return to the same beaches where they were born and released to lay their eggs. During the nesting season, mothers may be seen climbing through the sand to dig out their nests. If you see a mother building her nest, keep a safe distance and call 911 immediately to notify the Green Patrol, also known as la Patrulla Verde.

Mother sea turtles can lay anywhere from 50 to 250 ping-pong-sized eggs in the sandy nests they dig. After a mother turtle lays her eggs, hundreds of them are left there, where they are at risk of being stolen, stepped on, or eaten by predators or people (yes, people actually steal the eggs and then sell them or eat them raw). The Green Patrol will ensure that the eggs are transported to the conservation camp, where they will be properly cared for and will be able to hatch safely in about 45 days. To avoid stepping on sea turtle eggs, keep your eyes open when walking the beaches of Puerto Vallarta, especially during nesting season.

When is sea turtle hatching season in Puerto Vallarta?

In Puerto Vallarta, the sea turtle hatching season begins at the end of July, when the first baby sea turtles are born after 45 days of incubation. Then, it can take the baby turtles up to 14 hours to get from the egg to the surface of the sand.

The Campamento Tortuguero Boca de Tomates is a small and secluded camp just a short walk down the beach from the Puerto Vallarta airport. It is one of the main sites where you can participate in the sea turtle release in Puerto Vallarta (you can find the instructions on how to get to the Boca de Tomates camp below).

During the experience, you will learn all about the baby turtles in Puerto Vallarta, be able to ask questions, make a wish for your baby turtle, and release the baby into the water. The entire experience is free, but volunteers rely on all donations to sustain conservation efforts and continue saving baby turtles in Puerto Vallarta.

CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Campamento Tortuguero Boca de Tomates takes care of sea turtles in Puerto Vallarta until their eggs hatch. They then hold turtle release events where locals, tourists, and volunteers can watch the baby sea turtles make their way into the water for the first time. Every sea turtle release in Puerto Vallarta greatly improves a baby turtle’s chances of survival because only 1–3% of them make it into adulthood.

Seeing turtles in Puerto Vallarta is possible by visiting the Boca de Tomates camp, which is located on the Boca de Tomates beach. It is not only an exciting holiday activity, but it is also a fantastic learning opportunity for anyone interested in supporting conservation efforts.

With the help of tourists and volunteers, the camp releases approximately 60,000 eggs into the Pacific Ocean each year. All of the contributions to the sea turtle release camp help keep the conservation efforts alive and greatly increase the survival rate of Olive Ridley sea turtles in Puerto Vallarta.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE IN THE TURTLE RELEASE?

In order to participate in the sea turtle release in Puerto Vallarta held by the Boca de Tomates conservation camp, you can choose either of those two options:

OPTION 1.

The first way to get involved in the turtle release in Puerto Vallarta is to follow Boca de Tomates on Facebook and Instagram. There, you can get daily updates on whether or not the release will take place that day. They will usually post an Instagram and Facebook story between 2 PM and 4 PM inviting anyone interested to join the baby turtle release in a couple of hours.

When you see the story, you should message them right away to book your spot and make sure they are still available. The volunteers allow people to join on a first-come, first-served basis, which means you can’t book this experience ahead of time and you need to check their social media frequently for the newest updates.

a quick instruction:

Step 1: Follow Boca de Tomates on Facebook and Instagram.
Step 2: Wait for the daily story post to let you know that the turtle release is happening.
Step 3: Send a message to the camp, letting them know that you'd like to be a part of the experience.
Step 4: Get confirmation that your name is on the list.
Step 5: Get to camp at least 15 minutes early to avoid any last-minute surprises.
Step 6: Enjoy the experience!

OPTION 2.

The second way to participate in the turtle release in Puerto Vallarta is to book a local guided tour, which is ideal for those who don’t want to check for daily updates. This will also ensure that you arrive on time without getting lost or entering the wrong address in the Uber app (as we did). It is not only a convenient way to see the baby turtles making their way into the water, but your guide will explain the entire process to you while telling you all about the turtles in Puerto Vallarta.

HOW TO GET TO THE BOCA DE TOMATES TURTLE CAMP?

So, getting to the Boca de Tomates turtle release camp in Puerto Vallarta is fairly simple, but it may seem a bit confusing if you don’t know what you’re doing. The camp does post a small image of the map on how to get there on their Instagram story, but we’ve still managed to get lost in the process by entering the wrong address in the Uber app.

So, here is the first and most important piece of advice: If you’re taking an Uber or a taxi to the turtle release camp, make sure to enter Paseo Bocanegra Street as the default address. Any other address will take you to the wrong location. We did put in the Boca de Tomates at first, which made perfect sense in the moment. This would take us to the wrong location, and we would miss the entire experience. So, once again, use Paseo Bocanegra Street as your default location!

DIRECTIONS: The first and most important thing is to make sure to use a drop-off address on Paseo Bocanegra Street. Once you get dropped off, you’ll see a beach start to form, and if you keep walking, you'll reach a pile of rocks. After that, it's only about 2-3 minutes until you see this secluded camp in the middle of the beach..

VOLUNTEER OR ADOPT A BABY TURTLE

If you want to get more involved in helping sea turtles, you can join the annual Sea Turtle Volunteer Program, where you will live in a secluded turtle camp, assist in nest relocation, care for new baby turtles as they hatch, and assist in their release into the ocean. This opportunity is not free; it will cost you approximately $1600 MXN, which is the equivalent of $80 USD. You must also be 18 years old or older, so make sure you meet all of the requirements before applying.

You can also adopt a baby turtle nest by leaving a donation of about $500 MXN ($25 USD), after which you will be able to release your adopted baby turtle into the ocean once it hatches. All of the money donated goes straight to the camp, where it is used to buy things for the camp and to make sure they can help and save as many turtles as possible. If you would like to adopt baby turtles in Puerto Vallarta, you can contact Boca de Tomates directly via their Facebook or Instagram page.

MUST KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

1. DO NOT use a flash when taking pictures or videos of the turtles in Puerto Vallarta. You can blind them.

2. DO NOT touch the turtles. Our bacteria can harm them.

3. Make sure to bring the flashlight and a bug spray.

4. You can leave donations by contacting the volunteers via instagram @tortuguerobocadetomates or on site. Donations are not required, but are greatly appreciated.

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Last updated: December 2022

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