Nests & Hatchlings Report: Do not touch turtles while they swim, feed, nest or are on their way to the sea.

They need their own space. Respect them!

Hatchlings Release: Monday--Friday at 7PM.

Donations appreciated! Check with CEA before you come, to see if we will be releasing turtles that night; we don't have hatchlings every day.

We recommend you:

• Use mosquito repellent before you come. It is not allowed once we are on the beach, since it may affect the little turtles.
• Take no flash photos.
• Follow our volunteers' instructions.

To avoid stressing the turtles, Centro Ecológico Akumal does not give the little hatchlings to people to hold in their hands nor to release them directly into the sea. We just help them find their own way.

Donations can be given in the CEA Center in Akumal or on our Web site. They help us fund our Sea Turtle Program. Adopt a turtle and be part of the solution! www.ceakumal.org.

For further information, contact info@ceakumal.org or call (984) 875 90 95.

Learn about turtles and how you can help us to protect them. Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA) does not offer commercial tours nor have agreements with local operators.

CEA is the only organization authorized to work with these animals in Akumal and to take 10 people with them. Be careful of tour operators or public transportation businesses that offer you this service.

Season: May-October - Monday to Friday - 9pm to Midnight.
Groups limited to 10 people -- NO RESERVATIONS
Suggested Donation: Adults: $10 USD, Kids: $5 USD -- Rates may change without notice.

How can you help protect sea turtles?

• Use a flashlight with a red filter on it.
• Avoid making noise (23:00--05:00).
• Do not use fireworks during nesting season (May--October).
• Do not leave trash on the beach and in the ocean; pick up trash you find, even if it's not yours.

If you see a turtle:

• Never point your light towards her nor take pictures with a flash.
• Keep your distance.
• Notify Centro Ecológico Akumal of your observations.

If you see hatchlings:

• Turn off the lights.
• Help them find their own way into the sea. Do not release them directly into the water.
• Please remember that handling sea turtles without the proper authorization is a federal offense.

Night diving and snorkel tours are not recommended during nesting season.

Help us spread this information. For more information, please contact: tortugas@ceakumal.org ó comunicacion@ceakumal.org.

We have now initiated the process of CEA eco-certification, which will verify those properties located in Akumal that manage natural resources appropriately and apply good environmental practices in their operation.

The certification addresses 5 areas:

1. Beach management
2. Water management
3. Waste management
4. Energy management
5. Environmental education

Playa Caribe condominiums in Akumal North were the first to participate last year, giving us a chance to test and develop the process.

Interested properties will be visited by a certification representative, and should meet the necessary criteria and present results of water quality studies and appropriate waste disposal records, among other requirements.

All property certifications will be publicized on the CEA webpage along with the criteria by which each property achieves certification.

Properties currently in the process of certification include:

• Casa de los Colores
• Villas Flamingo
• Hotel Akumal Caribe Villas Maya
• Casa Valhalla
• Casa Quinta del Mar
• Villas Playa Paraiso

We will report updates throughout the year on our webpage: www.ceakumal.org.

For more information contact Mauricio at: recicla@ceakumal.org.

On August 9 we celebrate the Continental Day of Air Quality. To celebrate it, Centro Ecológico Akumal invites you to clean your heart for a complete month. During these days, pay attention to how much plastic you use; how many times, even when you don't need to, you use your car; how many sheets of paper you put in the trash, when you know you can reuse them; how many chemicals do you spill in fresh water; or how many things you use even though you know you are affecting the ozone layer.

Once you have this information, we invite you to share it with us on September 18, International Beach Clean-up Day, on our Facebook page. The idea is to share our experiences, to raise awareness of how much we can contaminate our hearts in 30 days, and how we can heal it.

2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. Take care of it!

The end of the year is approaching, and your membership probably will expire with it. Don't forget to renew it! Your donations help CEA to generate and promote strategies for ecosystem management in Akumal, through research, education and policy, for environmental sustainability in the Mexican Caribbean. This is a big task with tremendous implications, and CEA needs your help to meet it.

As we continue to focus on restoring the much-damaged marine and coastal ecosystems, we look forward to making Akumal the standard in sustainable practices.

Please join us, as we revolutionize the model of tourism growth and restore the heart---not only of Akumal, but also of ourselves. If you are already a CEA Member, please renew your annual membership; if not, please join. You can renew or join here.

For further information, contact info@ceakumal.org.

We are picking up recyclables in North Akumal, Jade Bay, South Akumal and Aventuras Akumal.

We still have not decided a pick-up site in Aventuras and South Akumal.

For North Akumal we are going from house to house (or condo to condo).

• Monday & Friday -- North Akumal, Half Moon Bay and Bahía Principe
• Tuesday & Saturday -- Aventuras Akumal, Las Villas Akumal and South Akumal
• Thursday & Sunday -- Akumal Pueblo

For further information contact: recicla@ceakumal.org.