The 5 Best Puerto Escondido Turtle Release Tours All Visitors Will Love

The 5 Best Puerto Escondido Turtle Release Tours

1. Turtle Release and Bioluminescent Bay Boat Tour

As a top-rated option, this could be the best tour for you, so get ready for a wonderful experience on this Turtle Release and Bioluminescent Lights Tour.

These are two of the best things to do in Puerto Escondido, and you can combine them for a fun night out.

Not only will you get round-trip transportation from your hotel to a turtle sanctuary, but you’ll also see glittery dinoflagellates in Laguna Manialtepec, the famous bioluminescence Puerto Escondido lagoon.

By participating in this Puerto Escondido sea turtle release, you’ll also be joining conservation efforts and learning more about how to protect these tiny critters straight from the folks in the conservation trenches. A win-win!

As one reviewer put it, “Our experience was so unique… The turtles were such a magical experience.”

In short: get ready to create a special memory in a special place.

2. Puerto Escondido Sunset Baby Turtle Release

Travelers loved this Sunset Baby Turtle Release in Puerto Escondido Mexico, so chances are high you will too.

What sets this tour apart? On this excursion, you’ll head to Vive Mar Turtle Release Mexico — the most noteworthy turtle sanctuary Puerto Escondido has.

Local conservations will explain their efforts to save these miniature reptiles in a beautiful setting.

You’ll Finish off by watching the sunset from the gorgeous beach where the sanctuary is located.

Reviewers loved the great value of this tour, the excellent information and guides, and the magical location on Puerto Escondido Bacocho Beach. 

3. Baby Sea Turtle Release in Puerto Escondido

⭐️ Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars | ⏰ Tour Length: 1.5 hours | 🐢 Check Rates & Availability

No trip to Puerto Escondido would be complete without releasing baby turtles, and there are few better ways to do that than on this enchanting tour!

Learn about sea turtle behavior and breeding habits, then help the newly hatched reptiles journey over the sand and into the ocean.

You’ll finish off by watching the sunset over beautiful Palmarito Beach.

Releasing the turtles was so magical, you can tell they do amazing work there with the project. The beach was super remote and quiet. I defo recommend doing this! The highlight of our trip to Mexico!

-eloise (read more reviews)

This tour includes roundtrip transportation from your hotel, a local guide, and national park fees.

Travelers highly recommend this tour, calling it spectacular, magical, and amazing. According to one review, it was “the highlight of our trip to Mexico!”

▶︎ Check rates and availability for this tour

4. Turtle Release in Puerto Escondido with Transportation

Join your super story-teller hosts to learn about the turtles during on one of the best experiences releasing turtles Puerto Escondido has to offer.

During this tour, you’ll be with from a group of passionate volunteers who are all-in when it comes to conserving these incredible animals.

You’ll get to learn about the different species of turtles as well as learn about coastal flora and fauna, all while enjoying a two-hour stroll along a beautiful beach.

This tour will take you on a Puerto Escondido off the beaten path adventure.

Travelers loved it, mentioning the amazing staff, beautiful turtle release experience, and the great information they learned.

5. Huatulco Turtle Release at the Famous La Escobilla Sanctuary (Huatulco Turtle Tour)

Located a few hours from Puerto Escondido, La Escobilla Sanctuary is one of the most important locations in Mexico for Olive Ridley sea turtle nesting.

If you’ve been looking for a true once-in-a-lifetime animal interaction, this is the perfect Turtle Tour for you because it takes place in a protected area you can only visit with a guide.

A top-rated tour, travelers love always this turtle release Huatulco tour — with one reviewer calling it “exceptional and almost spiritual.”

Not only will you get to see baby sea turtles at a sanctuary, but you’ll get to tour nearby pueblo (small town), eat authentic Mexican food, and interact with the guides.

Over conversation, you’ll learn about the life cycle of sea turtles, the efforts to save them from extinction, and more fun facts.

Next, get to watch the sunset from a pristine beach at Santuario La Escobilla (meaning “The Brush Sanctuary”), where you’ll release the baby turtles.

The highest rated Huatulco to Puerto Escondido turtle tour release experience we’ve found, this is one tour you shouldn’t miss if you love turtles.

FAQ: Puerto Escondido Turtles in Mexico

🐢 Olive Ridley Turtle

Olive Ridley turtles are olive green, and have heart-shaped shells.

They are among the smallest sea turtles in the world and are usually found in the tropical areas of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

You can see them in several places throughout Mexico and Central America.

🐢 brown, black, sack, parlama, or torita turtle

Green sea turtles, also called black sea turtles or Pacific green turtles have an olive or black-colored shell with a layer of green fat beneath.

These sea turtles are primarily herbivores and tend to live in shallow lagoons.

🐢 hawksbill sea turtle

Hawksbill sea turtles have lovely shells and prefer to live in lagoons, coral reefs, and coastlines.

They eat shrimp, squid, anemones, sponges, crustaceans, and marine algae, among other things.

🐢 leatherback sea turtle

Leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles in the world. They can weigh more than 2,000 pounds (907 kg) and may reach lengths of up to 7-feet-long (2 m).

As you might guess from the name, they don’t have a hard shell, but a rubbery one instead.

Leatherbacks can stay underwater for up to an hour and 15 minutes.

That’s right: The Puerto Escondido turtle release season runs throughout the year because there are so many types of turtles in Oaxaca Mexico.

• Olive Ridley turtles lay eggs throughout the year, so you can release the cute babies any time you visit Puerto Escondido Oaxaca Mexico.
• Green turtles lay eggs from October through March, making those months the best time to release this particular species.
• Hawksbill and leatherback turtles also lay eggs from October through March.

However, the hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles are critically endangered so tourists may not be allowed to be involved in conservation efforts and baby turtle releases for these species.

These include the Leatherback, Hawksbill, and Green Sea turtles which hatch from October until March.

Wondering about Mexico turtle releases in other parts of the country?

This is primarily a Oaxaca activity, but you can also do turtle release Puerto Vallarta tours.

However, there are no turtle release Cancun experiences nor turtle release Tulum experiences.

When in doubt, you can always Google “turtle release near me” or “free turtles near me” when you arrive in Mexico and see what comes up!

To get there, take a taxi from downtown Puerto Escondido, or drive your rental car.

You’ll have to wait a while to register and pay, but you should get to release a baby turtle as long as you registered in time.

​​Vive Mar has multiple turtle release locations, including at Playa Palmarito Beach Puerto Escondido.

Turtle releases are usually between 5pm and 7pm each day, depending on what time the sunsets.

This conservation center works with all four species of turtle found in Puerto Escondido: Olive Ridley, Leatherbacks, Black/Green Turtle, and Hawksbill Turtle.

For example, the turtle release at Playa Bacocho takes place at 6pm, but you should arrive at least an hour ahead in order to register, pay the fee, and then listen to the introductory talk.

Keep in mind, this is a very popular activity and can fill to capacity. If you want to secure your spot, show up early to register.

These tours usually include transportation, a certified bilingual tour guide, and sometimes additional activities (such as visiting a bioluminescent lagoon).

However, if you have your own transportation, you can also visit a turtle sanctuary on your own.

Most turtle sanctuaries charge between $150-200 MXN pesos (about $8-12 USD) per person, and/or per turtle you want to release.

Simply arrange your own transportation to your preferred Puerto Escondido turtle sanctuary, register when you arrive, pay at the sanctuary, and release a baby turtle.

The Vive Mar Puerto Escondido Turtle Sanctuary and the Vive Mar Turtle Sanctuary at Playa Bacocho are popular spots.

Of the two, the second one is closer to the main area of Puerto Escondido — but for sea turtle enthusiasts, they’re both worth checking out.

In order to release a baby turtle safely, you should not touch the turtle (unless you’re told it’s ok).

The oils from your hands can affect the ability of the newly hatched turtles to imprint on their hatching beach, and their ability to return to that same beach.

Stay behind the indicated barrier and cheer for your turtle as it makes its first journey toward the ocean. For a bit of fun, you can name your turtle and cheer it on by name.

Wondering, Who is Vivemar? A few people have had this question, so we want to be clear that Vivemar is an organization; not a person.

The organization is well known for its sea turtle conservation efforts, especially in Puerto Escondido and Mazunte.

Vive Mar has released more than 500,000 turtles in the past 10 years.

If you plan to release a baby sea turtle while visiting Puerto Escondido, heading to one of the Vive Mar sanctuaries is a great choice.

They are located here on Playa Bacocho Beach Puerto Escondido.

In most turtle sanctuaries, volunteers and conservationists search for turtle nests and move them to the turtle hatchery.

The turtle eggs in the hatchery are kept in shaded camps (thus maintaining a more ideal temperature) and protected from predators.

By involving tourists and allowing them to release baby sea turtles, these turtle sanctuaries are not only raising funds for their operation but also raising awareness about sea turtle conservation.

Final Thoughts on the Turtle Release in Puerto Escondido

Ready for the best sea turtle release Puerto Escondido has to offer?

Hopefully by now you’ve found a tour to love from this list, plus the answers to your pressing questions.

If you’re still undecided, I recommend this 5-Star Baby Turtle Release & Bioluminescent Boat Ride Tour, though there are others.

You can also go for this 2-hour stroll along the baby turtle beach and learn about sea turtles, sea birds, and coastal wildlife.

Or head into the sparkling blue of the Pacific Ocean to snorkel with adult sea turtles while you keep an eye out for dolphins.

No matter what you decide, it’s sure to be a great choice!