Florida’s extensive coastline serves as a significant nesting ground for several sea turtle species each year. This period, known as “sea turtle season,” is a crucial time for their reproduction. Females return to the beaches where they were born to lay their eggs.
Florida’s Sea Turtle Nesting Season
Sea turtle nesting season in Florida typically spans from March 1 through October 31. During this time, female sea turtles emerge from the ocean to deposit their eggs in the sand. While the season covers many months, peak nesting activity usually occurs from May through August. Florida’s coastline is particularly important, hosting approximately 90% of all sea turtle nesting in the United States.
The Nesting and Hatching Journey
The nesting process begins when a female sea turtle crawls ashore, typically at night, often returning to her natal beach. She uses her rear flippers to dig a body pit and then a deeper, vase-shaped egg chamber, a process that can take up to an hour. Into this chamber, she deposits an average of 80 to 120 soft-shelled eggs, roughly the size of a table tennis ball. After laying her clutch, she covers the eggs with sand and camouflages the nest by flinging sand over a wide area before returning to the ocean.
Sea turtle eggs incubate for approximately 45 to 70 days, with the sand temperature influencing the sex of the hatchlings; warmer temperatures tend to produce more females, while cooler temperatures yield more males. Once ready, the hatchlings use a temporary egg tooth to break out of their shells and collectively dig their way to the surface over several days. They typically emerge at night, guided by the natural light of the open horizon, which leads them towards the ocean. This initial journey to the sea is challenging, as hatchlings face predators and obstacles, with only about one in a thousand surviving to adulthood.
Species-Specific Nesting Timelines
While the general nesting season is broad, different sea turtle species exhibit slightly varied nesting patterns in Florida. Loggerhead sea turtles are the most common nesters in the state, with peak activity from late June into early July. Green sea turtles primarily nest from June through late September, with significant populations found along Florida’s southeast coast. Leatherback sea turtles, the largest of all sea turtles, typically nest earlier in the season, from March through July, with about half of their nesting occurring in Palm Beach County.
Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, the smallest and most endangered species, occasionally nest in Florida. Hawksbill sea turtles are also rare nesters in Florida, with nesting primarily occurring from June to August, often in isolated locations.
Protecting Nesting Sea Turtles
Protecting nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings requires collective effort from beachgoers and residents. Artificial lighting near beaches can disorient both nesting females and emerging hatchlings, causing them to crawl away from the ocean and towards land. “Lights out” rules are often in place, and Florida Statute 379.2431 prohibits the disturbance, molestation, or harassment of marine turtles, their nests, or eggs.
Disturbing nesting turtles or hatchlings, including approaching them, using flash photography, or interfering with their natural process, is prohibited. It is important to remove beach furniture, equipment, and litter from the beach overnight, as these can create obstructions for nesting females and disorient hatchlings. If an injured or disoriented sea turtle or hatchling is found, reporting it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at their 24-hour Wildlife Alert Number (1-888-404-FWCC or FWC on a mobile phone) is recommended.