Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, August 25, 2026 – Navy personnel safeguarded 108 sea turtle hatchlings found emerging at Los Muertos Beach and transferred them into official custody ahead of a safe release into their natural habitat, the Décima Segunda Zona Naval said Tuesday.
The response marks the second Navy-documented turtle intervention at the Romantic Zone beach in little more than a week. A naval patrol recovered a separate clutch of 62 eggs at Los Muertos last week and transferred it into protected incubation. The counts establish that the latest 108 hatchlings came from another nest along the same heavily used stretch of sand.
The Navy said patrol personnel detected the nest, protected the hatchlings and delivered them to the appropriate authorities. Its bulletin does not identify the agency or turtle camp that received them. It also does not name the species, provide the release location or report whether every hatchling reached the water.
An emergence on Los Muertos presents distinct challenges. Businesses, umbrellas, beach furniture, foot traffic and nighttime lighting crowd the shoreline. Artificial light can draw hatchlings away from the ocean, while obstacles and spectators can block their route.
Mexico’s federal sea turtle protection standard requires lighting near nesting beaches to be redirected away from the sand. Hatchlings must be handled as little as possible once active, then allowed to cross wet sand and enter the water without assistance. Observers must remain at least two meters behind them. Members of the public may not touch or manipulate hatchlings during a release.
A supervised release is an observation activity, not permission to pick up a turtle. Puerto Vallarta’s municipal wildlife guidance tells people who encounter a nesting turtle, nest or hatchlings to maintain their distance, avoid lamps and camera flashes, leave the route to the water clear and call 911 when animals are at risk.
The Navy said four sea turtle species nest in the municipality and repeated that turtles, eggs and products cannot be removed, sold or consumed. These species are protected under NOM-059, and illegal removal can constitute a federal crime.
The two Los Muertos interventions show that nesting and hatching are active inside one of the city’s busiest beach corridors. Anyone who encounters another nest should darken nearby lights, clear the route to the water and alert trained personnel without touching the turtles.
