Municipal authorities in Los Cabos have protected the fifth leatherback sea turtle nest of the 2026 nesting season, underscoring the importance of the municipality’s beaches as a critical conservation area for a species classified as critically endangered. The finding highlights the increasing rarity of leatherbacks worldwide and the role local beaches play in their survival.
The nest was discovered during nighttime surveillance patrols along the Cabo San Lucas coastline. Technical staff from the El Diamante Golf Course, working with the Municipal Marine Turtle Protection Program, monitored the turtle until it completed nesting and then immediately activated protection protocols for priority species.
As part of the response, 80 eggs were recovered and transferred to a specialized incubation chamber. The measure is intended to reduce threats from natural predators, human activity, and adverse environmental conditions, improving the likelihood that hatchlings will survive.
All actions were carried out in accordance with Official Mexican Standard NOM-162-SEMARNAT-2010, which establishes conservation measures for sea turtles nationwide and ensures that each stage of protection follows scientific and environmental criteria.
Municipal officials also urged residents and visitors to help protect sea turtles by avoiding motorized vehicles on beaches and reporting any sightings to the appropriate authorities. Such actions, they said, are essential to preserving the leatherback’s natural life cycle in the region.
Leatherback turtles are among the most ancient living reptiles, with ancestors dating back more than 100 million years. They survived the extinction of the dinosaurs and are known for their rapid growth, which allows them to reach immense sizes compared with other sea turtle species.
