Turtle Nesting Season has begun!
Updated: May 1, 2019
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Today is the official start of Turtle Nesting Season! Mother turtles are beginning to come to shore to lay their eggs on our beaches! During this time our volunteers patrol the beaches each morning to look for turtle crawls (tracks left in the sand by mama turtles as they make their way up the beach to lay their eggs). Volunteers locate the turtle nests and mark them with wooden stakes and colored ribbons. Ribbons change each month;
the color for May is pink. ~ The Volusia/Flagler Turtle Patrol |
Please welcome our first sea turtle nest of 2019!
Click here to learn about turtle track identification.
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Warmer weather is upon us.
Since we share our beaches with the turtles,
What Can I Do to Help?
- Leave the beach the way you found it. Mama turtles can get trapped/injured in lawn chairs or stuck in holes dug on the beach. When leaving, remove obstacles that get in their way by taking everything with you when you leave, filling in holes and knocking down sandcastles.
- Pick up your trash. Mama turtle may think your plastic bag is a yummy jellyfish and eat it, making her sick. Look around before you leave and place your trash (and the trash left behind by others) in the trash bins.
- Lights out. Lighting along A1A, beach bonfires and flashlights can confuse mama turtles, discouraging them from coming ashore to lay their eggs. If they are already on shore, they may become disoriented or be frightened away.
- Do not disturb nesting females. If you see a turtle coming ashore to nest, do not approach! Give her space and don't make loud noises or quick movements. If she gets scared and returns to the ocean, she may dump her eggs in the sea and the hatchlings will perish.
If you come across a nesting sea turtle on our beaches, please keep your distance and do not disturb her.
She may become spooked and return to the water before laying her eggs.
She may become spooked and return to the water before laying her eggs.
If you find a sick, injured or cold-stunned sea turtle, please do not place it back in the water.
Call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) for assistance.
Call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) for assistance.