Queen Conch Sanctuary at Xel-Há

Learn more about the program that protects and preserves the Queen Conch

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Within the natural wonder of Xel-Há, you can find freshwater and marine ecosystems, meeting excellent conditions for the study of the Queen Conch, a species that lives freely in the inlet, and its catch is prohibited.

Due to its excessive consumption, it received the status of a threatened species, and in some regions of the Caribbean, it is unfortunately considered extinct. For this reason, Xel-Há Park created the Protection and Preservation of the Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas) program.

Through joint work with the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN) Mérida Unit, every two months takes place a monitoring work to confirm and study the population of this species in the inlet of Xel-Há. Members of this prestigious research unit capture a few specimens to keep track of the population growth rate and its different stages divided into juveniles, sub-adults, and adults. In 2010, they counted 4,282 exemplars, registering a growth of 79% of the population in a decade from the beginning of the program.

At Xel-Há, we believe environmental education and awareness are fundamental as one of the most effective ways to protect the species. Likewise, we are a training center for teachers of the Mesoamerican Reef Program to reinforce awareness about the importance of the species in the environment to transmit this information to their students.