Swim with turtles in Akumal

Akumal translated means “place of the turtles”, and is located on the Riviera Maya between the towns of Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Once, Akumal was a Mayan trading port and today the coastal town is known for its beautiful bay and the countless turtles that live in the reef in front of the bay. Here are some tips on how to swim with turtles in Akumal.

Swim with turtles in Akumal: the bay of the turtles

Akumal Bay is a beautiful bay on the Riviera Maya in Akumal. The wide sandy beach with palm trees and the clear waters invite you to swim and relax. This place is really paradise, but the secret is bigger and the main attraction in the bay are the many turtles.

Because Akumal Bay is a feeding and resting area for different species of turtles, to ensure the protection of the animals, various rules have been introduced and the areas where the turtles graze have been cordoned off with buoys and may only be swum through with an authorized guide.

Rules for snorkeling with turtles

In order to protect the animals, several rules have been introduced by the official Mexican authorities. These rules are of course good and useful to protect the turtles. Among others, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) has established the following rules:

• Snorkeling tours are only allowed with an authorized guide and with a maximum of 6 persons.
• Sufficient distance must be kept between two groups
• Do not touch the turtles and keep an appropriate distance
• Do not swim after the turtles when they swim away from you
• A life jacket is mandatory
• Use only biodegradable sunscreen (or none at all and a shirt instead)
• Do not remove seagrass and coral
• Do not leave trash on the beach

What species of turtles are there in Akumal?

Three species of turtles live in Akumal. In front of the bays of the coastal town live Hawksbill Sea Turtles, Loggerhead Sea Turtles and Green Sea Turtles. All three species are endangered and therefore special rules are needed to protect the animals.

Tips for snorkeling with turtles

It is best to be in Akumal Bay early in the morning, because in the morning you have the best chance to see turtles grazing. Likewise, it gets very crowded on the beach and also in the water starting at 10:00 am.

At 8:00 am, the Akumal Dive Shop opens. Here you can rent snorkeling equipment and book a tour with an authorized guide. The tours last 45 minutes and cost about 700 MXN (30 USD) per person. You can also rent a life jacket for 100MXN ( 5 USD). If you go on a guided tour, you have to wear this vest. If you just go into the sea and swim or snorkel, you don’t need a life jacket. However, the chance of seeing turtles in the unclosed area is much lower.