Playa de Escobilla Sanctuary
Encyclopedia
Playa de Escobilla Sanctuary is a waterfront sanctuary for sea turtle
s in the Mexican
state of Oaxaca
, with an area of about 30 hectares.
The sanctuary lies in Santa María Tonameca
Municipality, between the towns of Puerto Escondido and Huatulco
near the town of Mazunte
.
In order to protect the turtles, the beach is guarded during nesting season and is off-limits to tourists.
However, during this season (July to September) visitors can join overnight trips to observe the Olive Ridley
turtles heaving themselves on shore to lay their eggs. These trips help support the local economy, and must be arranged in advance through the Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga.
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s in the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
state of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, with an area of about 30 hectares.
The sanctuary lies in Santa María Tonameca
Santa María Tonameca
Santa María Tonameca is a town and municipality located on the southern coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, about 268 km from the capital city of Oaxaca.It is part of the Pochutla District in the east of the Costa Region....
Municipality, between the towns of Puerto Escondido and Huatulco
Huatulco
Huatulco , centered on the town of La Crucecita, is a tourist development in Mexico. It is located on the Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca. Huatulco's tourism industry is centered on its nine bays thus the name Bahias de Huatulco but has since been unofficially shortened to simply Huatulco...
near the town of Mazunte
Mazunte
Mazunte is a small beach town on the Pacific coast in Oaxaca, Mexico. Mazunte is located 22 km southeast of San Pedro Pochutla on coastal Highway 200. Mazunte is located some 10 km to the west of Puerto Angel and just about 1 km from San Agustinillo and 264 km south of the...
.
In order to protect the turtles, the beach is guarded during nesting season and is off-limits to tourists.
However, during this season (July to September) visitors can join overnight trips to observe the Olive Ridley
Olive Ridley
The olive ridley sea turtle , also known as the Pacific ridley, is a species of sea turtle.- Description :The olive ridley is a small extant sea turtle, with an adult carapace length averaging 60 to 70 cm 1...
turtles heaving themselves on shore to lay their eggs. These trips help support the local economy, and must be arranged in advance through the Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga.