Helping Dig Up Sea Turtle Eggs on a Cancun Vacation
During a family trip to Mexico, this southeast Michigan traveler finds an unforgettable experience moving unhatched reptiles from the beach to safer ground
My summer began as I waited anxiously for my Cancun trip. My relatives whom I went with just wanted to sit by the beach, because they've already had the wonderful experience. Out of all the suggestions they made for me – which all had a price – the best experience was when I dug up turtle eggs.
Every night, these large sea turtles come on land to dig holes and lay their eggs. I fell asleep hoping for the chance to see the turtles in action. But I arose every morning knowing that I missed the activity.
I saw the beach workers marking the spot of the places where the turtles laid the eggs. They were able to determine that by the turtle tracks and sand humps. So, one morning, I personally asked the beach workers if I could dig out the eggs (they are required to dig them out and take them to a safer location prior to hatching). I counted each egg as I place them into a bucket. In all, I counted 112 eggs – and lost three, due to cracks.
That was my excitement for the summer – due to the fact that I love nature.
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