Isla Contoy is a small island in the
Mexican state of
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 administrative divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into municipalities of ...
, approximately 30 kilometers north of
Isla Mujeres.
The island is only in length and has an area of .
Since 1961, Isla Contoy is protected by the Mexican government and was declared a
national park
A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
in February 1998. The island is jointly run by the Isla Mujeres-based non-governmental organization, ''Amigos de Isla Contoy A.C.'' and the Secretary of Environment, Natural Resources and Fishing (SEMARNAT).
Supervised
eco-tourism and regulated commercial fishing is allowed on and near the island. Only a few tour companies have permission to bring the only at maximum 200 daily visitors to Isla Contoy. Visitors need to apply for permission to visit the island at the park offices in Isla Mujeres or
Cancún
Cancún is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito J ...
.
Four
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of turtle find a safe haven for nesting on the beaches of the island, namely the
loggerhead turtle,
green turtle
The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exte ...
,
hawksbill turtle, and the
leatherback turtle. The reserve is also a sanctuary to approximately 152 tropical marine birds, like the
frigate bird,
brown pelican, and the
double-crested cormorant.
References
External links
Amigos de Isla Contoy
{{authority control
Contoy
Contoy, Islas
National parks of Mexico
Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System
Protected areas of Quintana Roo
Ramsar sites in Mexico
Uninhabited islands of Mexico