Swimming with Turtles in Akumal: The Truth You Need To Know
Are you planning to swim with turtles in Mexico? If you are, this ultimate guide will help you decide whether booking a turtle tour in Akumal is a suitable activity.
Swimming with Akumal turtles is a bucket list experience for many visitors to the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Indeed, Akumal is widely marketed as Mexico's 'turtle town.' I chose to stay at Secrets Akumal Resort for a specific reason. I wanted direct access to these graceful creatures.
Snorkelling alongside the Akumal turtles would be a unique and unforgettable experience. Observing them in their natural habitat would enhance my holiday in Mexico. Sadly, as I discovered, it’s not as simple as turning up at Akumal Beach with your snorkel gear. Having a leisurely one-to-one with an Akumal green sea turtle is more complicated.
The truth about swimming with turtles in Akumal's warm Mexican waters is more complex than you can imagine. If you care about the turtles' welfare, you will be surprised at how the 'guided Akumal turtle tours' are managed.
In fact, during my January visit to Akumal, it was clear that the turtle tours had taken over the turtles' habitat. They dominated the turtles' favourite spots. Whether you were a hotel guest or a day tripper, you had to pay to encounter a sea turtle. Without payment, there was no way to approach the preferred turtle-grazing area.
In this post, I share my experience of swimming with green turtles in Akumal. I offer tips on how to enjoy these sea creatures responsibly. It's essential to do this without harming their environment or well-being.
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Where can you swim with the turtles in Akumal?
We initially thought we could walk out to the sea from our hotel (Secrets Resort) and swim out to see the turtles going about their daily business, but that was not the case.
The main sea turtle grazing area is yellow on the infographic. You can only enter this area if you have paid to join a turtle tour. The tours are overcrowded and, in my opinion, unethical.
White buoys mark a no-entry protected conservation area directly off Akumal Beach. The turtle grazing area is to the left of those white buoys.
We were under the impression that, as hotel guests, we could snorkel in the yellow area, so we swam straight out to the white buoys and then swam left towards the turtle-spotting waters.
On entering the yellow channel, we were yelled at by a boat skipper anchored in the turtle area. We also received a mouthful of expletives from the turtle tour guides in the water. We were then told we couldn't enter that area unless we paid for a turtle tour.
Unbelievably, we were told to go under the buoys and rope and swim in the sea turtle conservancy area instead!
Of course, we didn't do that, but we saw plenty of people slipping beneath the rope and swimming in this protected area.
We returned the way we had come and snorkelled close to the white buoys. Luckily, we saw a turtle gliding through the water and feeding on the seagrass beds. Even though I have seen turtles before, it is always a magical experience.
Turtles around the world
Once, we were in the Maldives, and we were both oblivious to one another until the turtle's hard shell connected with my head as we swam along; it was a surreal experience. Another time, we were on a small nature safari tour in Barbados, and more recently, we had the privilege of snorkelling in Indonesia's Gili Islands, where we encountered several species, including a Hawksbill.
How many Akumal turtles can you see?
We were under the impression that we would see large numbers of wild sea turtles just in front of our resort - sadly, this wasn't the case when we visited in January; we only saw one. However, we saw other sea life, including tropical fish and stingrays, which were easily visible in the clear waters.
The number of daily boat tours taking people to the 'turtle hotspot' indicated that there were plenty of turtles in Akumal's waters. Yet, they were not in the 'free' area where we were allowed to be.
Should you do an Akumal turtle tour?
I expected this to be an ethical experience. The turtles' welfare should be the main priority. Sadly, I don't see how it is.
I have seen firsthand the volume of visitors. They continually go back and forth from the beach to the turtle area every day. For this reason, I would never book a snorkelling trip with turtles in Akumal.
I am not an expert on turtle stress levels. However, I can only imagine that the volume of swimmers throughout the day must cause the turtles some anxiety.
There are times when the turtle operators can work from and to (9 am - 5 pm). Yet, it seemed clear they were already there, no matter when we walked along the beach. We saw them whether it was in the early morning or the evenings after 5 pm.
Is there an official regulatory body overseeing turtle tours in Akumal?
As far as I can see, the answer is a resounding NO!
It doesn't seem as though anyone is regulating the vast number of daily turtle tours, despite green turtles being supposedly protected by the Endangered Species Act.
There is a tented area at the end of the beach with a police presence. It is more of a beach patrol. Their role is not primarily to watch over the turtle tours.
The Akumal Diving Centre would have been the perfect organisation to protect and preserve these waters.
Turtle tours enter the beach area through this dive shop. They rent their snorkels and life jackets here. For obvious reasons, they wouldn't want to stop the number of daily visitors. More turtle tours = more money!
Recommendations are ignored
A sizeable wooden notice board on Akumal Beach provides guidelines for how to conduct yourself in the water.
Sadly, I don't think many people take notice of it. The guideline states that only six people should be near a turtle at a time. This interaction should last no more than 3 minutes.
It also states that one guide should be assigned to every six swimmers. However, we observed significantly more swimmers in some of the groups.
This photograph shows a group ready to go out to see the turtles. This one group alone illustrates how many people were on that turtle tour. Sadly, there were already around six more groups this size at the turtle grazing area!
I can't imagine it's an enriching experience for paying guests and not for the turtles!!!
Conclusion
Snorkelling in the Caribbean Sea makes a holiday to the Riviera Maya an unforgettable experience. A glimpse of a green turtle will be the icing on the cake. Let it happen naturally rather than joining an Akumal turtle tour.
Akumal means 'place of the turtle' in the Mayan language. Let's hope it remains that way. We hope the area isn't over-commercialised to the demise of the turtles.
Seeing how the Mexican authorities manage snorkelling with Akumal turtles was disheartening. Many local people's livelihoods depend on the number of tourists visiting Akumal Bay. I don't see this changing anytime soon.
If you are concerned about animal welfare, I hope this post has provided insight. It shows the reality of snorkelling with turtles in Akumal Bay.
This situation may lead you to think twice before booking an Akumal Bay turtle tour. Consider finding another destination to fulfil this animal encounter on your bucket list.
For further information on the conservation of green sea turtles, please refer to the NOAA Fisheries website.
CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING VIDEO!!
Filming includes footage of sea creatures captured during independent snorkelling. This was not done as part of a tour. It also consists of footage of a PADI scuba dive in Akumal Bay.
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Angela Price: is an accomplished travel writer bringing extensive expertise and passion to the world of travel.
With over 40 years of globetrotting adventures under her belt and with a keen eye for unique experiences, she has established herself as an authoritative voice in travel, offering invaluable insights for fellow adventurers seeking to uncover the delights of worldwide destinations.
Her motto is “live life wandering not wondering”. Read more about Angie.