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The reef is something we talk about quite often. Some of us are able to dive into the wet atmosphere and witness firsthand the myriad biodiversity that makes up a "reef," and others see it from above. This coral reef along the Mexican Caribbean coast is our Golden Egg, the source of our tourism. Without the reef, we'd have a different kind of tourism in Quintana Roo. Likewise, the clear Caribbean waters are a result of a combination of the incredible amount of freshwater that flows underneath our feet in the Yucatan Peninsula, the by-products of coral reef species (parrotfish excretion, for example) and the lack of organic matter in the freshwater draining out to sea. All of these elements together define the amazing blue waters we so love.
Akumal is a wonderful destination within this Golden Egg of Mexico's coastal Paradise. With its several bays and Yal Ku lagoon, which is really the mouth of an underground river emptying into the ocean, mangrove, jungle, and coral reef, Akumal is a unique place. However, this paradise is threatened daily from overuse, inadequate wastewater treatment, deforestation, and poor solid waste management.
 Akumal Bay is now full of boats, snorkel tours and day visitors in search of sea turtles, fishing tours or just enjoying a day at the beach. With the success of tourism marketing, Akumal has become a very popular place, thanks mostly to our resident juvenile sea turtles (as its name says in Maya, Akumal is "the place of the turtles.") At the same time, treated and untreated wastewater in the region is reaching the sea. The sum of these factors creates increased pressure on the health of the ecosystem and its biodiversity.
As part of its current work, Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA) is struggling to improve and integrate the management of this small corner of Eden. Along with the local hotels, dive shops and independent marine tour operators, CEA is implementing a Bay Management Plan, which covers the coastal waters from Yal Ku in the north to Aventuras Bay in the south. The plan is basically a zoning and marine practices management plan, providing rules for each sector. The main Akumal Bay has been zoned to protect the sea turtles as they feed on sea grasses, to guide the boats in and out of the bay, to limit the number of boats, and to limit the number of tours per hour. It is not feasible to remove all tourism activity from the bay in order to try to protect the area (as some would like), but we are able to limit and guide actions, based on a variety of laws and best practices, and with the help of the Port Captain and the federal environmental agencies.
Several actors do not agree with the new management plan, but generally these are the groups that have exploited the area the most, with huge numbers of tourists in their tours, illegal boat operations, or new businesses that want to begin to operate in Akumal. Each week, a new tour operator arrives in Akumal, with a plan to bring more tours to the area, even from cruise ships arriving in Cozumel. The bay simply cannot withstand more use.
 Fortunately, most local businesses and actors agree that we must limit the exploitation of our local natural resources, while some members of the community would like all of the boats removed from the bay. The current management program, or POBAk, for its name in Spanish, Programa de Ordenamiento de las Bahías de Akumal, tries to find a compromise among all of these interests, with an emphasis on protecting and restoring the marine biodiversity of Akumal, and especially protecting the sea turtles.
If you visit Akumal, please be sure to visit the CEA Center, on the main beach on Akumal Bay, to find out more about these management efforts.
You can participate in this program by observing, but not touching, all marine wildlife, especially leaving the sea turtles alone; making sure not to leave any trash in the water or on the beach; hiring only registered businesses for your tours; and informing others of the best ways to enjoy nature without destroying it.
Thank you for helping us to keep this Golden Egg shiny.
Paul Sánchez-Navarro
Director, Centro Ecológico Akumal
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