Turtle
Mesoamerican Slider
Trachemys venusta
A freshwater slider with yellow head striping and red or orange markings behind the eye. Seen basking on logs and cenote rims, and occasionally swimming through the open basin — the only turtle divers encounter here. It is a freshwater species, not a sea turtle, and behaves accordingly: skittish and quick to leave.
- Max size
- Carapace to about 45cm
- Habitat
- Open cenotes, lagoons and slow freshwater across the Yucatan and Central America
Best places to dive with Mesoamerican Slider
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | occasional |
| February | occasional |
| March | occasional |
| April | occasional |
| May | occasional |
| June | occasional |
| July | occasional |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | occasional |
| November | occasional |
| December | occasional |
Resident year-round at open cenotes such as Casa Cenote and Carwash. Encounters are chance, not seasonal — sources note quiet mornings as the better bet, which is time of day, not month.
Sources & last checked
Checked July 2026
Research is source-backed, but conditions and fees should still be confirmed locally.
View 2 sources and checking notes
- Unique Species to Look for in Yucatan Cenotes, Yucatan Today
- Mesoamerican Slider (Trachemys venusta), iNaturalist
Note on the data: No current IUCN assessment was found for Trachemys venusta at the species level, so conservation status is coded unknown rather than guessed.