Sea Turtle Nesting Season begins in May. Info and updates 2024

[Teresa]

Sea turtle nesting season begins in May on many Florida beaches, including the beaches of South Walton (SoWal) and northwest Florida. The season lasts through the end of October and is the critical time when people can help keep sea turtles and hatchlings safe.

South Walton Turtle Watch:
Apr 30 post on Facebook

Heyoooo!! TWO. MORE. SLEEPS!!! That’s right!! Sea Turtle nesting season begins in the panhandle Wednesday, May 1!!

You may have heard they are already making their way onto our beaches as our neighboring counties have already had some nesting action!! Wooo!

This means we need to make sure we are doing our part by keeping our beaches #CleanDarkFlat

Take all your trash and belongings with you at the end of the day. Leave nothing but your footprints behind.

Do not use white lights on the beach and turn off all beachfront lighting. If you are on the beach after dark, be sure to use turtle safe lighting.

Knock down all sand art and FILL ALL HOLES!!! Holes are dangerous for both sea turtles and humans!!

We are looking forward to a GREAT season knowing we have YOUR help and support for our nesting sea turtles and their babies to be successful and safe!! It takes a village and we need you!!

Now…WHEN WILL OUR FIRST NEST BE LAID?! Hit us with your best guesses in the comments below

South Walton Turtle Watch, LLC​

SWTWG is a local non-profit conservation organization that holds a Florida Marine Turtle Permit issued by Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). We are permitted to conduct sea turtle nesting surveys on Walton County beaches. We also perform sea turtle nest inventories and respond to sick or injured sea turtles. Funding is provided by grants, donations, fundraising and Walton County TDC.

During sea turtle nesting season, May 1 through October 31, permitted staff and volunteers survey Walton County beaches daily, looking for turtle crawls/tracks, identify species, and position stakes and flagging tape in order to protect nests during incubation. Nests are monitored throughout the incubation period and then inventoried for success.

 

[Teresa]

Sea turtle nesting season arrives along Florida’s coasts​

beach at night and avoid using flashlights or cellphones. Anyone living along or visiting Florida beaches can do their part by putting porch, parking or deck lights out and closing curtains after dark to avoid disorienting nesting and hatchling sea turtles on the beach. If lighting could still be visible from the beach, be sure it is long, low and shielded.

Admire from afar: While it can be exciting to witness sea turtles on the beach, getting too close (50 feet or less) to nesting sea turtles can cause them to leave the beach before they complete the nesting process. If an animal changes their behavior, you’re likely too close. Remember – it is illegal to harm or disturb nesting sea turtles, their nests and eggs, or to pick up hatchlings.

Sea turtles typically return to nest in March along Florida’s southeast Atlantic coast from Brevard County south to Broward County, while nesting begins on Gulf Coast or north Florida beaches in April or May.

For more information about nesting sea turtles and how you can help, visit MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle or see the FWC’s “Be a Beach Hero” brochure. Other ways to help sea turtles include reporting those that are sick, injured, entangled or dead to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

 

[Teresa]

Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol
Reports first sea turtle nest by rare Kemp's ridley Monday Apr 19

Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol:

A very exciting day for us here in Destin-Fort Walton Beach!! We had a Kemp’s ridley come up and nest!! Are we excited?! Ummm YESSS!!!

Kemp’s ridleys are our most endangered species of sea turtle and don’t typically nest on our beaches, however, they do nest during the daytime.

What an exciting day for our team and the lucky beachgoers that got to experience this rare occurrence!

Sea turtle nesting season officially kicks off on May 1st but this lady just couldn’t wait! We will be patrolling our beaches every day looking for sea turtle nests.

Please make sure you keep our beaches safe for our nesting sea turtles by removing all of your belongings and trash at the end of the day, filling in your holes, knocking down your sandcastles, and using only red turtle-friendly flashlights on the beach at night. You can get one for FREE at the Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach Welcome Center!

Many of our team members were on site today to make sure that the sea turtle was safe and comfortable. All of the work that our team does, including what we did today, is permitted under MTP-24-251. It is illegal to disturb a sea turtle, her nest, and her eggs so please help us keep our sea turtles safe!

 

[Teresa]

INDIAN PASS
The Forgotten Coast

Indian Pass Sea Turtle Patrol
April 12 report on social media

Nest #1! Yes, you read that correctly. IPSTP received a text message this morning about “tracks and eggs on the beach”. A team went out to investigate. Not only were there tracks. There was a nest. A LEATHERBACK NEST! This is the first documented Leatherback nest on Indian Pass and, we believe, the first nest of the 2024 season in the Florida Panhandle!

Leatherbacks are massive animals averaging 6’ in length and ranging in weight from 500-1500 lbs. This sea turtle’s track was 83” wide (patrol members for scale)!

Thank you to the neighbor who alerted us to this event. IPSTP now has a phone number (850) 270-8939. You can call or text. You can also email us at ipturtlers@gmail.com.
We will get back with you as soon as possible.

Enjoy the pictures of our first nest of the 2024 season, laid April 12. We are preparing for a busy year! Nesting season officially begins May 1. Please keep the beach clean, flat, & dark.

All work done under FWC permit MTP234.

 

[Teresa]

SWFD

SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON BEGINS MAY 1!

It's officially Sea Turtle Nesting Season in SoWal. Our incredible partners at South Walton Turtle Watch are asking all of us to work together to keep beaches CLEAN, DARK, and FLAT.

If you see a stranded, sick, injured, and/or distressed sea turtle, call the South Walton Turtle Watch Hotline at 850-865-4503.

Please remember, all species of marine turtles are protected by the Endangered Species Act. It is against the law to touch, harass, interfere, or interact with sea turtles without a permit. Leave the work of protecting our sea turtles to the professionals.

Learn more here: HOME

 

[Abby E]