9/12/2017 Update: Our thoughts go out to everyone as we begin recovering from Hurricane Irma. Please continue to stay safe while emergency personnel and power company workers clean up downed-power-lines and restore power to the many currently without. Due to the strong wind and waves from Irma, it is likely that we have lost many of our nests. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do for the turtles that have perished. However, in the days and weeks to come, we may have additional "washbacks" on our beaches. These are small turtles who have made it out to sea, but due to the storm have become weakened, sick, or dehydrated and are washed back to the beach. They are often hiding among the seaweed on shore. Do not try to place them back in the water. Please call the FWC at 1-800-404-FWCC (3922) for assistance. Thank you for everything and stay safe!

Best of Both Worlds!

Last updated September 5, 2017
​
​It's that great time of year when we have the honor of sharing our beaches with both hatchlings emerging from their nests as well as mama turtles still coming to shore to lay new nests (although the number of mama turtles has begun to slow down). Once the season is over we'll share Nest Counts for the area we cover; we patrol 25 miles of beach in Volusia County, 18 miles in Flagler County, and 2.5 miles in St. Johns County. In the meantime, if you need a numbers fix, you can check out this year's numbers for all of Volusia County's beaches so far...  click here. Happy September!
~ The Volusia/Flagler Turtle Patrol ​​

Florida sea turtles having a banner year ~Daytona Beach News Journal (Sept 3, 2017)

September Fact of the Month...

Baby turtles emerge from the nest all at once or in small groups. But why? It used to be thought that there was safety in numbers. That if they all headed for the ocean at once, the chances of being taken by predators was lower. And that may be the case, but it’s not the only reason. Recent research has shown that hatchlings who work together to dig their way out of the egg chamber conserve energy. The study showed that larger groups of hatchlings working to dig their way out of the nest dug out twice as fast and reserved more of their precious energy than smaller groups. And that’s pretty important considering that the only energy they have to start with comes from the yolk of their eggs. They need to save that energy to make it down the beach towards the ocean and then out to sea. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work.” Way to show teamwork, turtles! 
For more information on Turtle Teamwork and the study mentioned above, click here.

FLORIDA SEA TURTLES
There are 5 species of sea turtles found along Florida's Beaches.

LOGGERHEAD

The Loggerhead Turtle is the most common turtle on  our beaches. She is named for her immense, block-like head and strong jaws.

LEATHERBACK

The 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.

GREEN

The Green Turtle gets her name from the color of her fat. She is an herbivore, eating plants, sea grasses,
​ and algae.

HAWKSBILL

The Hawksbill Turtle has a beautiful, distinct carapace (shell). It is  tortoiseshell in color and almost heart-shaped. 

KEMP'S RIDLEY

The Kemp's Ridley is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. She is relatively small, weighing less than 100 pounds.