The 2023 sea turtle nesting season in Florida is in full swing and it has been a very busy year so far.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as of May 31st there have been over 35 thousand loggerhead nests laid on Florida beaches, that’s up from about 25 thousand the year before.
There have also been over 2000 green turtle nests found, about 1200 leatherback nests and 10 kemp’s ridley nests.
Sea turtles nest on beaches across Franklin and Gulf counties including St. George Island, St. Vincent Island, Alligator Point and Cape San Blas.
The vast majority of the nests found in our area are from Loggerhead turtles, though very rarely there are also nests from the more endangered green turtles and leatherback turtles.
The nests look like piles of sand, and they are most easily recognized by the turtle crawl marks that are left when the female turtle pulls herself from the Gulf of Mexico to the dune line where most turtle nests are found.
If you should be lucky enough to see a nesting turtle, just remember to leave the turtle alone and turn off any lights you might have.
Never use a flash to take a picture of the turtles and don't point flashlights at her.
If she is disturbed, she may abandon her nest and return to the sea.
If you should find an unmarked sea turtle nest this Summer, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC and they will make sure someone comes out to check and protect the nest.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as of May 31st there have been over 35 thousand loggerhead nests laid on Florida beaches, that’s up from about 25 thousand the year before.
There have also been over 2000 green turtle nests found, about 1200 leatherback nests and 10 kemp’s ridley nests.
Sea turtles nest on beaches across Franklin and Gulf counties including St. George Island, St. Vincent Island, Alligator Point and Cape San Blas.
The vast majority of the nests found in our area are from Loggerhead turtles, though very rarely there are also nests from the more endangered green turtles and leatherback turtles.
The nests look like piles of sand, and they are most easily recognized by the turtle crawl marks that are left when the female turtle pulls herself from the Gulf of Mexico to the dune line where most turtle nests are found.
If you should be lucky enough to see a nesting turtle, just remember to leave the turtle alone and turn off any lights you might have.
Never use a flash to take a picture of the turtles and don't point flashlights at her.
If she is disturbed, she may abandon her nest and return to the sea.
If you should find an unmarked sea turtle nest this Summer, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC and they will make sure someone comes out to check and protect the nest.
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