Sea turtle nesting season

Heading to the beach? Sea turtle nesting season officially began in May of this year and will run through the end of October. 

In order to keep track of the yearly nesting, the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute uses the Index Nesting Beach Survey, a "detailed sea turtle nesting-trend monitoring program conducted in conjunction with the Statewide Nesting Beach Survey," according to the FWRI.

The survey uses a standardized data-collection protocol in order to measure seasonal nesting throughout the years. 

According to the survey, Loggerhead Sea Turtles, the most abundant species of sea turtle in United States coastal waters, reaching a minimum of 28,876 in 2007 and a maximum of 65,807 nests in 2016. In 2020, loggerhead turtles had another successful nesting season with more than 53,000 nests documented on Florida’s 27 core index beaches. However, the beaches only account for a small sample of the 219 Florida beaches.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking the public to help ensure the newly born turtles reach the ocean by following a few simple guidelines.

• Keep your distance: Never approach or touch a nesting turtle.
• Allow hatchlings to emerge: Allow the turtles to crawl towards the ocean on their own.
• Turn off lights: Sea turtles crawl towards the brightest horizon.
• Fill in your holes: Prevent hatchlings from falling or getting stuck. 
• DO NOT: Leave trash, obstacles, holes, balloons, etc. Avoid building bonfires. 

For more information, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website.