Help Save Sea Turtles With Grupo Xcaret’s #Tortugaton Initiative

WHY IT RATES: Xcaret Park is also home to the largest sea turtle hospital in the country. —Codie Liermann, Associate Editor

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Grupo Xcaret, the leader in sustainable and socially responsible tourism in the Mexican Caribbean, is bringing back the #Tortugaton initiative to conserve and recover sea turtle populations, classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Moreover, Xcaret Park is home to Mexico's largest sea turtle hospital. They are focused on rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing turtles back to the wild in collaboration with the non-profit Flora, Fauna y Cultura de Mexico A.C.

Grupo Xcaret is encouraging visitors to use #Tortugaton on their social media posts. In exchange, the brand will donate one Mexican peso to the region’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

Proceeds will be allocated to scholarships for volunteers who work year-long to ensure the nesting and hatching of sea turtles remain unharmed until they reach adulthood. The effort will continue until September 30.

“We are committed to being champions of conservation for this key species in Mexico, who are important health indicators in the world’s marine and coastal ecosystems,” said Rodolfo Raigoza, Chief Conservation Officer for Grupo Xcaret. “Our state-of-art turtle hospital is a symbol of Grupo Xcaret’s efforts to save this species for future generations.”

Authorized by the Federal Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico, the Xcaret Turtle Hospital serves as a rescue and rehabilitation center where wounded turtles are treated with special techniques and natural antiseptics such as honey.

The hospital ensures that sea turtles exceed the critical stage of 15 months before being released by guests into the wild. An average of 200 sea turtles remain in Xcaret and are cared for until they are capable of surviving on their own.

To date, in collaboration with Flora, Fauna y Cultura de Mexico A.C., the brand has reintroduced a total of 13,567,193 sea turtle hatchlings to the ocean and recovered 3.7 tons of waste from the beach and nesting areas.

Besides using #Tortugaton on their social media posts, visitors interested in helping save sea turtles can learn from on-site experts and experience sea turtle releases first-hand at Xcaret park. The brand is committed to educating guests on the ability of humans to sustainably coexist with the diversity of the natural world around them.

Click here to learn more about Grupo Xcaret’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

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SOURCE: Grupo Xcaret press release.