Last Month of the 2024 Turtle Season
We have entered the last official month of the 2024 Turtle Nesting Season. Turtle activity has significantly slowed down with the most recent nest being laid in Volusia County on September 19. While we are still diligently monitoring nests on the beach, the majority of hatchlings born this season have already made their way out to sea. We will continue to monitor nests until the last hatchlings have emerged, even if it happens to be after the last official day of the season on October 31.
With Hurricane Helene just behind us and another storm potentially on the way, some of the turtles that hatched earlier in the season may be in for a rough ride. After making their way out to sea, small turtles are often washed back to shore by the strength of the wind and tides. If you find a weak hatchling on the beach after storms, please do not place it back in the water. Washbacks may be weak and in need of medical assistance. Please call the FWC at 1-888-404-3922 (or #FWC from your cell phone). If you are instructed by the FWC to transport washbacks to a rehabilitation location, keep them in a quiet, shaded container with moist sand (approx 1 inch). Do not submerge them in water. Hatchlings need to breathe air and may be too exhausted or weak to lift their heads out of the water.
On a happier note, we would like to give a big "Thank You" to mama sea turtles. While end-of-season storms such as Helene and Milton may be a setback for the success of nests currently on our beaches, all is not lost. Mama turtles come to shore multiple times per nesting season, depositing eggs in different locations at different times. They do not put "all of their eggs in one basket" so to speak. So, if one clutch is lost to a storm, others may thrive.
With Hurricane Helene just behind us and another storm potentially on the way, some of the turtles that hatched earlier in the season may be in for a rough ride. After making their way out to sea, small turtles are often washed back to shore by the strength of the wind and tides. If you find a weak hatchling on the beach after storms, please do not place it back in the water. Washbacks may be weak and in need of medical assistance. Please call the FWC at 1-888-404-3922 (or #FWC from your cell phone). If you are instructed by the FWC to transport washbacks to a rehabilitation location, keep them in a quiet, shaded container with moist sand (approx 1 inch). Do not submerge them in water. Hatchlings need to breathe air and may be too exhausted or weak to lift their heads out of the water.
On a happier note, we would like to give a big "Thank You" to mama sea turtles. While end-of-season storms such as Helene and Milton may be a setback for the success of nests currently on our beaches, all is not lost. Mama turtles come to shore multiple times per nesting season, depositing eggs in different locations at different times. They do not put "all of their eggs in one basket" so to speak. So, if one clutch is lost to a storm, others may thrive.
Washback Season
August 1 - November 30
August 1 - November 30
August 1st through November 30th is Washback Season. When baby sea turtles hatch and emerge from their nests, they head for the ocean and swim towards the Sargasso Sea. There they find food and shelter from predators among the sargassum seaweed. They live among the seaweed for the first few years of their lives as they strengthen and grow. When storms and strong winds occur clumps of seaweed may be "washed back" from the Sargasso Sea to the beach. The young, post-hatchling sea turtles (weeks to months old) that end up back on the beach among the seaweed are called "washbacks." They are often found in the wrack (the line of seaweed, shells and driftwood that collect on the beach). While your first instinct may be to place the small sea turtles back into the water, that's not the best way to help them. They may be weak, exhausted or dehydrated and in need of medical care. If you find a washback, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-800-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC from your cell phone.
Florida Sea Turtles
There are 5 species of sea turtles found along Florida's Beaches.
LOGGERHEADThe Loggerhead Turtle is the most common turtle on our beaches. She is named for her immense, block-like head and strong jaws.
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LEATHERBACKThe Leatherback Turtle is the largest turtle. She has a leathery shell, can reach up to 7 feet in length and weigh up to 1,500 pounds.
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GREENThe Green Turtle gets her name from the color of her fat. She is an herbivore, eating plants, sea grasses,
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HAWKSBILLThe Hawksbill Turtle has a beautiful, distinct carapace (shell). It is tortoiseshell in color and has overlapping scutes (scales).
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KEMP'S RIDLEYThe Kemp's Ridley is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. She is relatively small, weighing less than 100 pounds.
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If you find a sick or injured sea turtle, please do not place it back in the water. It may need medical assistance. Call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) or, from your cell phone, dial #FWC or *FWC .