A Green Turtle Laid Eggs Underwater Near Mahahual – A Rare Observation
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
After hundreds of dives in Mahahual, I thought I had seen almost everything the reef had to offer. Then, during a dive at Punta Tam in August 2025, we witnessed something completely unexpected: a green turtle releasing eggs underwater.
A Rare Underwater Encounter
On 7 August 2025, while diving at Punta Tam south of Mahahual, we encountered something none of us had ever seen before.
A large female green turtle was resting on the reef at approximately 15 metres depth when we noticed eggs being released directly into the water.
Sea turtles normally leave the ocean and crawl onto sandy beaches to lay their eggs. Finding a turtle releasing eggs underwater is extremely unusual.
We immediately began documenting the event while maintaining our distance and avoiding any disturbance to the turtle.
Watch the Rare Observation
Video footage recorded during the observation at Punta Tam, Mahahual.
What We Observed
The turtle remained on the reef while eggs were released into the surrounding seawater and settled onto the reef below.
By reviewing the video footage frame by frame, we were able to identify at least 34 eggs, although the actual number released was almost certainly much higher because the event was already underway when we first observed it. After releasing the eggs, the turtle swam away.
Why Is This So Unusual?
Sea turtle eggs are adapted to develop in nests dug into warm beach sand.
When eggs remain underwater, they generally cannot develop normally because the conditions needed for successful incubation are absent.
For this reason, underwater egg laying is considered extremely rare.
Why Did It Happen?
The honest answer is that we don't know.
Scientists have proposed several possible explanations for underwater oviposition in sea turtles, including:
Difficulty reaching a suitable nesting beach
An interrupted nesting attempt
Retention of eggs from a previous nesting attempt
Reproductive complications
Without tracking the turtle before the event, it is impossible to determine the cause.
From Dive Observation to Scientific Research
Because the event was recorded on video, the observation attracted scientific interest.
We are currently collaborating with marine biologists to document the observation as a scientific note. If published, it may represent the first documented report of underwater oviposition by a free-ranging green turtle and one of very few such observations recorded worldwide.
Why It Matters
Mahahual's reefs and beaches are closely connected ecosystems.
Green turtles rely on healthy coral reefs for feeding and healthy beaches for nesting. Protecting both habitats is essential for the long-term survival of sea turtles in the Mexican Caribbean.
This observation is a reminder that even after thousands of dives, the ocean can still surprise us.
Want to explore Mahahual's reefs and marine life for yourself? Mahahual Underwater Explorers offers guided reef dives, shore diving adventures, DPV exploration, technical diving and marine life encounters throughout the region.
About the Author
Andy Stewart is a PADI Course Director and technical diving instructor based in Mahahual, Mexico. He has logged hundreds of dives throughout the Mexican Caribbean and regularly documents marine life observations on the Mesoamerican Reef.
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