A Special Home
The Sea of Cortez and Baja California peninsula are home to five species of sea turtles; Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Green Turtle and Olive Ridley – all of which are endangered.

Leatherback Sea Turtles
The Leatherback Sea Turtle can grow to weigh as much as 2000lbs (907kg). It is also the deepest diving sea turtle with the strongest sense of migration.

Hatchlings
The correct term for a baby turtle is ‘hatchling’. Hatchlings do not have gender chromosomes, and their gender is determined by the temperature within the nest.

Turtle Season
Late August until early December is considered turtle season in the Baja Peninsula, when the turtles come home to lay their eggs. Each year, these turtles return to the place where they were born to lay their eggs on the beaches, including One&Only Palmilla’s Turtle Beach (hence the origin of the name).

The Next Generation
Turtles need to reach 20 to 30 years of age before they are mature, and are able to reproduce. Most sea turtles return to the beaches where they were born to lay their eggs.

Protecting the Eggs
Eggs and hatchlings are easy prey for natural predators. One&Only Palmilla protects the areas where the eggs are, and monitors the nests until the eggs hatch. The day the eggs hatch, the baby turtles are collected and are released into the sea just before sunset with the help of the resort and its guests.

Endangered Species
It is estimated that 35,000 sea turtles are illegally hunted and killed annually throughout Baja California. 5 out of 7 of the world’s endangered sea turtle species inhabit the Baja California peninsula. ASUPMATOMA (The Association for the Protection of the Environment and the Marine Turtle in Southern Baja) and other local grass-root organisations have formed to help protect the sea turtles in the Baja Peninsula area.

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