Sea Turtles

Now is the time, in the Spring and Summer, when loggerhead turtles begin browsing along our coast.  These remarkable visitors frequently swim close to the shores of Lovers Key and nest on the beaches of Southwest Florida's islands.

Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles remarkably suited to life in the sea. Their hydrodynamic shape, large size, and powerful front flippers allow them to dive to great depths and swim long distances. After their first frantic crawl from the nest to the ocean, male sea turtles never return to the shore again, and females come back only long enough to lay eggs.

In summer, an ancient reproductive ritual begins when the female leaves the sea and crawls ashore to dig a nest in the sand. She uses her rear flippers to dig the nest hole and then she deposits about 100 eggs the size of ping-pong balls.

When egg-laying is complete, the turtle covers the eggs, camouflages the nest site, and returns to the ocean. Nesting turtles may return several times in a nesting season to repeat the process and usually nest every two to three years.

As is true for some other reptiles, the temperature of the sea turtle nest determines the sex of the hatchlings. Warmer temperatures produce more females, whereas cooler temperatures result in more males.

Consequently, conservationists prefer to leave turtle eggs in their original location whenever possible so that sex ratios are determined naturally.  

After incubating for about two months, the eggs begin to hatch. A few days later, 2-inch hatchlings emerge as a group. This mass exodus usually occurs at night, and the hatchlings use the bright, open view of the night sky over the water to find their way to the sea. Artificial lights on beachfront buildings and roadways distract hatchlings on their way to the ocean. Because of this danger, many beachfront communities in Florida have adopted lighting ordinances requiring lights to be shut off or shielded during the nesting and hatching season.  

Species of sea turtles that are commonly found in Florida's waters include the Atlantic green, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, hawksbill and leatherback. Different sea turtles eat different foods. For example, the adult green turtle is a herbivore that eats only plant material and the loggerhead is a carnivore that eats only meat 

Nesting turtles in Florida are the loggerhead, leatherback and greens. During the spring and summer months, female turtles come ashore after dark to nest on sandy beaches. Using her rear feet, she digs a hole in soft sand and deposits her rubbery eggs. She then covers the hole with sand and packs it. After about 60 days, hatchlings emerge from their nests most often at night and head for the brightest horizon, which is hopefully the moon shining over the ocean waters. Brightly lit cities can disorient the hatchlings causing them to head toward developed areas.

Major threats to sea turtles include loss of beach habitat due to development and accidental death in fishing nets. All sea turtles are protected by state and federal laws

Turtle Protection

Florida is an important place for the endangered and threatened sea turtles of the world. Sea turtles forage for food in our estuaries. 

There are five species of sea turtles that swim in Florida waters and nest on Florida's beaches.  Four of these, the green turtle, leatherback, hawksbill and Kemp's ridley, are endangered. The loggerhead is considered threatened.

Information about these ancient nomads of the deep has until recently focused on nesting females and hatchlings because they are the easiest to find and study. The advent of new research techniques, such as satellite tracking technology, has allowed scientists to peer into other phases of their lives. Florida, a leader in sea turtle research and conservation, is home to the nationÕs only refuge designated specifically for sea turtles. 

Three species (the loggerhead, green turtle and leatherback) nest regularly on the state's extensive sandy beaches. Approximately 90 percent of the nesting activity of the southeastern United States loggerhead nesting aggregation occurs in Florida. This aggregation is believed to be the largest in the world, and one of only two populations with tens of thousands of females nesting annually. In 1999, 81,045 loggerhead nests were recorded in Florida on the 1259 km of monitored beaches. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission coordinates the collection of statewide nesting data through a network of permit holders consisting of government agency personnel, members of conservation organizations, university researchers and private citizens.

Although it is considerably smaller than its loggerhead aggregation, Florida's green turtle nesting aggregation is the second largest in the Western Hemisphere. In 1999, 479 green turtle nests were recorded in Florida. Florida is the only state in the continental United States with regular nesting by the leatherback turtle; 558 nests were recorded in Florida in 1999

The status of marine turtle populations is typically assessed on the nesting beach because of the difficulty of censusing these highly mobile, migratory animals in the marine environment. 

During the 11-year period, 1989 through 1999, the annual number of loggerhead nests at the core set of index beaches ranged from 39,091 to 59,917 nests, green turtle nests ranged from 267 to 4229 nests and leatherback nests ranged from 27 to 230 nests.

Nesting numbers for green turtles showed a clear biennial periodicity, with odd years having low nesting and even years having high nesting during the 10-year period.

Over the 11-year period of study, loggerhead and green turtle nesting in Florida appears to be stable or increasing, and leatherback nesting is increasing significantly.

Florida has the most diverse and abundant sea turtle fauna of any state or territory in the United States.  

Source:  Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission,
Marine Turtle Program

More Information About Local Wildlife

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