Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, August 5, 2026 — A juvenile crocodile found floating offshore near Icon Vallarta Beach was recovered Tuesday in an advanced state of decomposition, leaving no immediately visible explanation for its death.
Municipal lifeguards spotted the roughly 40-centimeter animal during a patrol near the lifeguard tower at Icon Vallarta, off the Hotel Zone, about 15 meters from shore late in the afternoon.
After bringing the animal to the beach, responders found no apparent wounds or other external injuries. Its condition suggested it had been dead before it was seen offshore.
The recovery was documented by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, known as Profepa. Federal personnel inspected the carcass, collected samples, opened a record on the case, and directed that it be buried at the site. No cause of death was identified during the initial inspection.
The juvenile was the eighth dead crocodile reported in Puerto Vallarta in recent weeks. The latest find adds a much smaller animal to a series that has included adult crocodiles near the city’s hotel beaches.
On June 19, a male crocodile measuring more than three meters was found dead on Playa Los Tules, several kilometers south of Icon Vallarta. Vallarta Daily’s coverage of that recovery reported no confirmed cause at that time.
The juvenile was recovered near an area already receiving closer attention during the rainy season, when crocodile movement can increase near beaches and waterways. Recent crocodile alerts at five Puerto Vallarta beaches remain relevant to people using the Hotel Zone shoreline.
