Cabo Turtle Hatchery Tour: Adopt & Release Baby Turtles
Adopt a hatchling, walk it to the ocean, watch it swim away
You adopt a baby sea turtle, learn its biology and survival challenges from a marine biologist, and release it into the ocean yourself. The guide explains the 45-day incubation process and the ranch's conservation methods while you're there. Transport from your hotel is included, and you can visit the donkey sanctuary afterward if you have time.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Turtle conservation and ranch visit
- Visit the ranch and meet donkeys
- Learn about turtle conservation programs
- Listen to marine biologist's educational talk
- Help release baby turtles into ocean
What’s included
- Your day includes hotel pickup in an air-conditioned vehicle, a guided visit to the turtle nests with a certified marine biologist, adoption and release of a baby sea turtle, bottled water, and access to ranch bathrooms.
- The donkey sanctuary is also on the grounds if you want to spend extra time there.
- Drop-off back at your hotel is included.
Times
- Every day 16:30
Last departure this season: 10 Jan 2027
Another time? ›Before you book
Operated by Rancho Carisuva
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The sand is still warm when you arrive at Rancho Carisuva, and the first thing you notice is how quiet the ranch feels: no crowds, just the sound of wind and the distant pull of the Pacific. Your marine biologist guide meets you there and walks you toward the turtle nests, explaining how Olive Ridley and Black Turtles come ashore between July and September to lay their eggs deep in the sand. For the next 45 days, the ranch protects those nests, and your job today is to help the hatchlings complete what they started. You'll adopt one of the baby turtles (it's yours to name, yours to carry to the water's edge), and then you'll watch it dig into the wet sand and disappear into the waves.
The tour is built around learning, not just watching. Your guide is a certified marine biologist, so when you ask why these turtles are endangered or how the ranch measures survival rates, you get real answers, not a script. You'll spend time at the nests, understand the incubation process, and see the hatchery setup that keeps the eggs safe. The whole experience moves at a pace that lets you absorb what's happening. This isn't a rushed photo stop. After the release, the ranch has a donkey sanctuary on the grounds if you want to stay longer, and there's time to walk around and let the morning settle.
The air-conditioned vehicle picks you up from your hotel and brings you back, so you don't have to navigate the ranch roads yourself. Bottled water is included, and the bathrooms are on-site. The group stays small enough that you're not jostling for a view or competing for the moment when your turtle hits the water. If you're traveling with infants or very young children, specialized seats are available, and the ranch is accessible for all fitness levels. There's no strenuous hiking, just walking on flat sand and through the ranch grounds.
Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to contribute to conservation rather than just observe it, and who have time between July and September when the hatchlings are ready. The tour moves at a learning pace. Expect an hour or two at the ranch itself, which is what lets you understand the biology and feel the weight of the release.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What months can you do the turtle release in Cabo San Lucas?
July through September, when Olive Ridley and Black Turtles nest on the beach and hatchlings emerge about 45 days later.
Do you actually get to release the turtle yourself?
Yes. You adopt a baby turtle and carry it to the water's edge, where you watch it dig into the sand and enter the ocean.
Who is the guide?
A certified marine biologist who leads the tour and explains turtle biology, conservation, and the ranch's protection methods.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes. An air-conditioned vehicle picks you up from your hotel and returns you after the tour.
What else is at the ranch?
A donkey sanctuary that you can visit before or after the turtle release if you have time.
What is included in the price?
Hotel pickup and drop-off, bottled water, certified guide, and access to the ranch facilities including bathrooms.
Cabo Turtle Hatchery Tour: Adopt & Release Baby Turtles
4h · EN · ES
from US$ 85 per person
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