Every year from the end of April until the end of October thousands of sea turtles find their way to the beach in Cayo Largo del Sur, where there is a coastal strip very suitable for the nesting of three species of chelonians. Year after year, many tourists arrive to the hotels in the area, just to take part in this adventure. They are invited to see the outstanding spectacle of turtles laying eggs on the beach!
This is a night excursion, you stay up late and have to crawl quietly up beside the turtle’s nest, and, by the sole illumination of the stars in the sky, actually see the small eggs falling down into the pit that the turtles have excavated in the sand. It is absolutely magical to observe the tracks of these giant turtles which contrast with the white sand, moving towards the refuge they have previously planned for their eggs. Suddenly, one starts to see the enormous oval shadows falling down. Sometimes over a distance of less than half kilometer seven to ten turtles may be observed. Then, you watch them disappear in the water, once they have finished, leaving their treasures behind, as if they knew that people from all over the world have come to this island to keep their baby turtles safe.
Organized by specialists from the Turtle farm of Cayo Largo and supported by the hotel personnel, each year they collect hundreds of turtle eggs from the most vulnerable beaches, and bring them back to the breeding farm for incubation, where they are kept for a little while in the pools.
Approximately 2 months after the eggs have hatched the baby turtles are then released back to the sea on a safe beach. The beach of Sol Cayo Largo is one of the favorite places for the release of the baby turtles and once more, tourists are invited to take part.
From mid-April to mid-October, but most intensely from the beginning of May to late September , Cayo Largo del Sur becomes not only one of the most beautiful beach destinations of the Caribbean and the world , but one of the unique places of Earth , where Nature shows its magnificence and men also play part .
