Sea Turtle Season in Panama

Watching the parade of baby sea turtles make their way to life at sea.

This is an intense moment; watching these tiny little turtles - impossibly cute and totally vulnerable to the lurking dangers of the world. After waking deep beneath the sand, using their sharp beaks to break through their shell, and having spent hours scurrying up through a nest full of their 100+ siblings, eatch hatchling uses its little flippers with all its might determined to reach the sea.

Their instincts kick in guiding each little baby to the sea drawn to the white color of the waves and the reflection of the waters surface. You can see the determination in their eyes and the flutter of their flippers as they waddle across the surface of the sand bound and determined to reach the waters edge as quickly as possible to evade their predators soaring above, and crabs waiting in their lairs below.

Hawksbill Baby Sea Turtle

The dangers are far from over. For baby sea turtles, reaching the ocean is just the beginning of their long difficult journey of life as they face predators of all kinds. Only 1 in 1,000 will survive to adulthood which is staggering to comprehend. On these mornings as we watch and cheer on these precious little hatchlings, wishing them a long and beautiful life at sea, there's an overwhelming sense of joy, protectiveness, and awe mixed with a humbling sense of tenderness knowing what lies ahead for them.

In this area of Panama we have 4 species of Sea Turtles: Olive Ridley, Hawksbill, Green, and Leatherback. Females start returning to our beaches in June for nesting season. Starting with Hawksbill (June to August) Olive Ridley (June to December), Green (September to March) and Leatherback (December and January).

Olive Ridley sea turtles mating

Because nesting season begins in June, one might surmise they are mating in May or thereabouts but these females have a sperm banking super power not many know about. Females will mate with multiple males and can store sperm in their oviducts for several months - the duration of an entire mating season. That's enough sperm to fertilize hundreds of eggs.

That means they can mate far from land with males and then make their way back to the same beach where they hatched from. Olive Ridley reach sexual maturity around 15 years old. So, since that hallowed hatching day, they have been busy at sea cleaning our reefs, eating jellyfish, trimming and mowing seagrass, and mainting the food web. After all that, they route find themselves (more on that soon) back to the same beach they hatched from to nest and start the cycle all over again.

Olive Ridley hatchlings making their way to the sea.

We would love to share this experience with you and your loved ones. The best time of year to experience a sea turtle release is September through December. Contact us to plan the perfect trip for you!

With love from Morrillo,

Cari and Ryan Mackey

Owners & Hosts