Sea turtle nesting season opens in Miches

Miches.- The sea turtle nesting season officially began on March 1 in Miches and will run through November 30, marking one of the most important natural cycles for the country’s coastal biodiversity.

The season opened with the rehabilitation and preparation of a protected nursery at Playa Limón, led by the Protortuga program—the largest sea turtle conservation initiative in the Dominican Republic. The effort was coordinated by Gustavo Román, executive director of the El Seibo-Miches Promiches Hotel and Tourism Association and general coordinator of Protortuga, alongside international scientific advisor Claudio Quezada. Volunteers and coastal monitors worked to ready the nursery, which replicates natural nesting conditions and allows vulnerable nests to be safely relocated, increasing hatchling survival rates.

According to Quezada, Miches offers ideal nesting conditions due to ocean currents that guide turtles to its wide beaches, where minimal human intervention and growing environmental awareness provide a safer habitat. Each year, sea turtles travel roughly 3,000 kilometers across open seas to reach these shores.

Results from the 2025 season underscore the program’s impact: 50 nesting events were recorded and 1,189 hatchlings successfully reached the sea. The initiative is supported by private sector partners including Tropicalia, YANUNA, Arena Tours, Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda, and Rancho Wild District.

Protortuga operates under the Miches Conservation Fund, led by Promiches with support from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. The fund channels private-sector resources into priority environmental programs such as turtle protection, scientific monitoring, and environmental education, promoting a more sustainable and regenerative tourism model for the region.