Nesting Season

All You Need To Know To Help Us Protect A Species

Nesting takes place on local beaches annually from March 1 – October 31

• Keep your distance

Never approach or touch a nesting sea turtle. Keep your distance, remain quiet and keep all lights off (including flash photography & cell phones). Touching, prodding or shining lights may cause her to not lay eggs or disturb her and affect how well she covers and camouflages the nest.

• Let hatchlings emerge

If you see hatchlings on the beach, allow them to crawl to the ocean on their own. Do not remove or dig hatchlings out of a nest. Removing sand above the nest will make it more difficult for the hatchlings to emerge.

• Avoid the dune & vegetation

Enter the beach at designated access points and avoid walking on the dunes or beach vegetation to protect sea turtle nests, shorebird nests and the dune plant ecosystem.

• Turn off lights

Keep lights at your house off while not in use and close your blinds at night to avoid adding to overall sky glow.

• Draw the blinds

If you own or are using a beach front property, make sure to close your blinds and avoid use of unshielded outdoor lighting fixtures.

• Don’t leave it behind

Remove obstacles such as beach chairs, tables, water-sport equipment and umbrellas before dark.

• Be aware when digging

Only dig holes below high tide line, in the hard packed sand to avoid incubating sea turtle nests and avoid using shovels.

• Fill in your holes

Fill all holes back in and knock over sand castles so that nesting turtles and hatchlings can’t fall into them and aren’t hindered as they crawl on the beach.

• Don’t be a litter bug

Properly throw away trash so that it doesn’t blow into the water or become an obstacle for a sea turtle.

• Don’t release balloons

Don’t release balloons, they travel far distances and will be eaten by sea turtles & other marine organisms.

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Local nesting by species:

 

 

 

 

Leatherbacks
Nesting: early March to early June
Hatching: late May to August

Loggerheads 
Nesting: April to June
Hatching: July to October

Green Turtles
Nesting: end of May to September
Hatching: mid July to November