Every month, Sayulita Life donates $5,000 to a local organization doing meaningful work in our community. This July, that donation goes to the Campamento Tortuguero de Sayulita (Sayulita Turtle Camp), as they kick off a new nesting season dedicated to protecting the sea turtles that return to our shores every year. We sat down with the camp to learn about its history, its work, and how you can get involved.

What is the story behind the Sayulita Turtle Camp? When and by whom was it founded?

Every year, sea turtles return to the beaches of Sayulita to nest, repeating a natural cycle that has existed for thousands of years. For a long time, however, many of their nests were poached by humans or destroyed by tides, waves, and erosion, putting the survival of thousands of hatchlings at risk.

Facing this urgent need to protect the nests, marine biologist María Alejandra Aguirre Ayala founded the Sayulita Turtle Camp in 2012, with the goal of protecting sea turtles and ensuring the conservation of their nests.

Her calling for conservation began in childhood, when she took part in the San Pancho Turtle Camp, run by Grupo Ecológico Costa Verde — an experience that sparked her interest in marine biology and inspired her to dedicate her life to protecting these species and to environmental education.

Since its founding, the camp has worked alongside its founder, her family, marine biology students, and a team of volunteers to protect hundreds of nests, while also promoting environmental education as a key tool for conservation.

Thanks to these efforts, thousands of hatchlings have made it to the sea, proving that science, commitment, and community participation can transform the future of sea turtles and raise a new generation of ocean guardians.

Which sea turtle species nest on Sayulita’s beaches, and during what time of year?

The sea turtle species that nest in Sayulita include mainly the Lepidochelys olivacea (olive ridley turtle), the most common in the region. However, the Chelonia mydas (green or black turtle) and the Dermochelys coriacea (leatherback turtle) have also been recorded — all three classified worldwide as endangered species.

Depending on the species, sea turtles typically nest on Sayulita’s beaches between June and December, the period of peak nesting activity. That said, nests can be spotted in any other month of the year, though less frequently.

How does the protection and release process work? What does the camp do from the moment a nest is found until the hatchlings are born?

Under the cover of night, ancient travelers emerge from the Pacific Ocean and return to the very shores where their own lives began decades earlier. Guided by an instinct as old as time, olive ridley turtles arrive on our beaches to lay the next generation — a fragile beginning, full of hope and uncertainty. And every year, our community volunteers answer the call. For more than 14 years, our volunteers have walked the beaches after most of the lights have gone out, searching in silence for mother turtles coming ashore to nest, carefully protecting their eggs, and watching over the future of a threatened species. Every patrol, every rescued nest, and every hatchling that reaches the sea is possible because ordinary people choose to do something extraordinary.

How many turtles and nests were protected this past 2025 season?

The 2025 nesting season was extraordinary: more than 26,000 olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) hatchlings were released into the Pacific Ocean, and 318 nests were protected on Sayulita’s beach.

Now the team is back with renewed purpose, bigger dreams, and an even stronger commitment to protecting one of nature’s greatest miracles: sea turtles.

What is the biggest challenge the camp faces in its conservation work?

The Sayulita Turtle Camp faces several challenges in its conservation work, the primary one being ensuring the survival of sea turtles in an environment increasingly affected by human activity.

Among the main problems are egg poaching, plastic and waste pollution, and climate change — which causes beach erosion and alters sand temperature — as well as incidental fishing, where turtles become trapped in fishing nets.

On top of this, there is the loss of nesting habitat due to urban and tourism development, along with a lack of funding and personnel, which limits monitoring, research, and environmental education efforts.

Together, these factors make the work of turtle camps essential, as they play a key role in protecting and helping sea turtle populations recover.

How can the Sayulita community and visitors support or get involved in the camp’s work?

The community and visitors play a fundamental role in the work of the Sayulita Turtle Camp, since their participation strengthens conservation and environmental education efforts.

Their support shows up in the families who attend hatchling releases, the local businesses that back the cause, and the tourists who join as volunteers during their visit. These experiences build awareness and a lasting connection to sea turtle protection.

In addition, through the “Guardians of the Ocean” program, children take part in educational and conservation activities, learning from an early age the importance of caring for the environment.

Together, these efforts turn the camp into a community effort rooted in solidarity, education, and hope — where everyone’s participation is key to protecting sea turtles and their habitats.

What role do volunteers play at the camp, and how can people sign up?

Volunteers play a fundamental role at the Sayulita Turtle Camp, contributing directly to sea turtle conservation and protection efforts.

Their main activities include patrolling the beaches during nesting season, protecting nests, and, when necessary, relocating eggs to a safe hatchery.

They also take part in releasing hatchlings, recording scientific data on nests and turtles, cleaning beaches and rivers, and running environmental education programs for the community and visitors.

Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up and request information through the following contacts:

Email: turtlecampsayulita@gmail.com
Facebook: Sayulita Turtle Release
Phone (Spanish): +52 322 132 7381 (Alejandra)
Phone (English): +1 360 790 7685 (Tyler)
Instagram: @tortugassayulita

How will Sayulita Life’s donation be used by the camp?

Sayulita Life’s $5,000 donation will go toward essential materials, including flashlights for night monitoring, signage for work areas, nest markers, and thermometers.

Do you have a special project or goal this season you’d like to share with the community?

For the 2026 season, the Sayulita Turtle Camp’s main goals are to increase the number of protected nests, in order to reduce human-caused predation and strengthen sea turtle conservation.

The camp also plans to hold environmental fairs focused on education and awareness about protecting these species, along with continuing river and beach clean-up days.

The team is also working to launch the community’s first children’s camp, inviting children from the Wixárika culture in particular to take part in several days of learning, connection, and hands-on experience with nature.

What message would you give El Sayulero readers about the importance of protecting sea turtles in Sayulita?

The turtles need all of us.

Whether you’ve volunteered for years or have never been to a release, there’s a place for you at the Turtle Camp. Every patrol counts. Every donation counts. Every volunteer counts. Every child who learns to love nature becomes a new voice for defending the ocean.

When we gather on the beach to watch dozens of tiny turtles make their way slowly toward the waves, we’re witnessing far more than a beautiful sunset tradition.

We’re witnessing resilience. We’re witnessing hope. We’re witnessing the power of a community that chooses to protect something that cannot defend itself. As this new season begins, we invite our neighbors, visitors, local businesses, and friends from everywhere to be part of this story.

Come walk the beach with us.

Donate to Help the Turtles of Sayulita — 2026–2027 Season

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/6432b03de

The Sayulita Turtle Camp warmly invites the community, visitors, and partners to join in protecting sea turtles by donating materials essential to their conservation work.

Currently needed supplies include:

• Work gloves
• Sand thermometers
• A rain jacket
• Rakes
• Flood lighting for night monitoring
• A wheelbarrow
• A reciprocating saw
• Sharpie markers
• Drawstring bags and tote bags
• Headlamps
• AA batteries