Have you ever seen those areas on the beaches in Florida that protect an area of the sand with colorful sticks and tape? In case you didn’t know, you were likely looking at a place where a sea turtle had laid about 100 eggs.
Sea turtle nesting season runs from March to October. Although other states with coastlines may have sea turtles, Florida sees about 90% of the sea turtle nesting action in the U.S.
Just why are sea turtles and their eggs so protected? Well, sea turtles are endangered. It’s hard for hatchlings to make it to adulthood due to all types of threats, including predators (think raccoons, birds, and crabs), human threats, and damage from natural disasters like hurricanes. In fact, only 1 in 1000 sea turtle hatchlings survive to adulthood, according to the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC).
When they do survive, these grand creatures can live for 40 to 60 years and can weigh as much as 1,300 lbs for the largest species found in Florida (an 8-foot leatherback, according to the FWC). Loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles weigh an average of 200 to 350 lbs.
Florida has five types of sea turtles:
–Green
–Hawksbill
–Kemp’s ridley
–Leatherback
–Loggerhead
There are seven types of sea turtles around the world and six in the U.S. Six of the seven species are endangered.
How Does Sea Turtle Nesting Work in Florida?
If you’ve visited Florida’s beaches often and you have yet to see a sea turtle, don’t be surprised. Here’s how their egg-laying process works and why they’re so elusive:
—A female sea turtle usually returns to the beach where it was born to lay its eggs. This is a curious ability that comes from something called natal homing. This occurs even if the sea turtle is hundreds of miles from her place of birth. She’ll swim back toward home. Although the amount of time it takes for females to reach maturity and lay eggs can vary by species, it can take as long as 20 to 30 years.
—Sea turtles usually lay their eggs at night to avoid the heat and reduce the risk of encountering predators. If you look at the sand, you often can see a sea turtle’s marks in the sand coming from the sea. They look somewhat like tire tracks. A female sea turtle will dig a hole and lay about 100 eggs at a time, covering up the hole again when she is done.
—In many Florida beach communities, there are volunteer groups that will patrol the beaches early in the morning to look for evidence of sea turtle eggs. This includes the marks in the sand from these large sea turtles, areas of disturbed sand, and sometimes small egg fragments. When they find an area with eggs, volunteers will make sure the eggs are covered and construct a productive barrier around the nest.
—Meanwhile, the mama sea turtle does not return to check on her eggs. Yet nature has its ways, and about two months later, the sea turtle hatchlings are born. They have a temporary “egg tooth” that helps them to penetrate their shell. Hatchlings work together to make their way out of the sand and eventually toward the ocean. The whole process may take a few days. The hatchlings instinctively know to do their work at night to cut down on heat and predator risks.
Believe it or not, Florida’s coastline welcomes about 40,000 to 84,000 sea turtle nests each year. You’ll find different hatch rates online, but the average seems to be 70% to 80%. Of course, as we mentioned before, the bigger challenge is once they’re born and the many threats they encounter on the way to adulthood.
Follow These Guidelines to Be a Good Sea Turtle Partner
It’s amazing to see sea turtles and their hatchlings in person. Seeing them face to face or even just in pictures can inspire you to want to help protect them. Here are a few ways you can make life easier for sea turtles and their hatchlings in Florida.
–-Never disturb sea turtle nests.
–Don’t touch sea turtles, their eggs or the hatchlings. It’s illegal in Florida to touch or harass them.
–-If you see a sea turtle hatchling making its way to the ocean, stay out of their way. However, this helpful article from the Fort Myers News Press says you can stand near them to intimidate birds and keep them away.
—If you’re living or staying right near the coastline, keep the outside lights off at night. These can disorient turtles and lead them to areas that are dangerous to them, like streets or parking lots. Consider motion sensor lighting (so it’s only on when you need it) and turtle-friendly lighting.
–Don’t leave behind fishing line, as the turtles can get entangled in it.
–Try to use less plastic. Plastic can be dangerous for turtles, just like it can for other sealife.
–Consider volunteering with sea turtle conservation groups in your area. We’ve seen volunteers on the beach early in the day, and it looks like an interesting way to help sea turtles.
–-If you see an injured, stranded, or dead sea turtle in Florida, call the 24-hour FWC Alert line at 1-888-404-FWCC. Or, text 847411 and use the keyword “FWC.” Provide your location and any other relevant information. You also can use this hotline if you see someone harassing sea turtles or their eggs.
Where Else Can You Learn About Sea Turtles in Florida?
Although sea turtles face many threats, they have a lot of support in the Sunshine State. If you want to dig a little deeper into sea turtle life and rehabilitation, here are a few places you can visit:
—The Turtle Hospital in Marathon. Located in the Florida Keys, this facility seems to do a great job rescusing, rehabbing, and releasing sea turtles in the Keys. Plus, it offers tours. The hospital is located in a former vintage hotel, and some of the rehab staff live in rooms once suited for hotel guests (we’re not sure if the turtles have left any five-star reviews online!).
—Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. The Marinelife Center also rescues and rehabs sea turtles. It also has an interesting counter on its website to show how many “patients” it currently has (six as of this writing), how many nests have been found in season so far, and the number of current turtles who are being tracked.
—MOTE Marine Life & Conservation in Sarasota. MOTE has tracked sea turtle habits along 35 miles of coastline in Southwest Florida since the 1980s. If you want to get nitty-gritty with the data, its site tracks and reports nesting habits from different species in the area on a weekly basis. Later this year, MOTE will open at a large new location near Sarasota’s Mall at UTC.
