Stranded sea turtle rescued from Cozumel beach

A sea turtle that was stranded on Cozumel’s playa Chen Río, was rescued by several personnel from Campamento Tortuguero de la Punta Sur.

The female was discovered by beach cleaning personnel from the Directorate of Maritime and Terrestrial Federal Zone (Zofemat) who found her lodged inside a natural indentation among the rocks. They happened upon the turtle when they arrived to clean sargassum.

They immediately called the Tortuguero Camp in Punta Sur (Campamento Tortuguero de la Punta Sur) who sent help.

According to her rescuers, she likely arrived around dawn to lay eggs, which takes about two hours. After laying eggs near a rocky area, she attempted to return to the sea, however, the tide had gone down, exposing the rocks.

The female sea turtle fell into a naturally eroded area that was nearly her exact size, making movement impossible. Pulling her up at an angle required the strength of two men, who were able to maneuver her out of the impression and onto the sand. She was returned to the sea unharmed.