Summer is turtle season here in South Florida and YOU can witness this miracle of nature up close, as part of Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s summer eco- experiences.
Juno Beach, where LMC is located, is home to three species of nesting sea turtles each year from March 1- October 31; leatherbacks, loggerheads and green turtles. In June, all three species are nesting, which make for busy beaches at night. Through permitting and work with the Florida Wildlife Commission, LMC has permission to operate nighttime tours guided by our trained and knowledgeable education team, to share insight on this remarkable seasonal nesting behavior, and give guests a close look at nesting and observe hatchling releases. LMC also offers morning nest excavations later in the summer as a guided program, where you can see how our team collects data after nests have hatched, and maybe even rescue some straggler hatchlings!
The seasonal eco-experiences begin on June first with nighttime guided turtle walks. The turtle walks are offered Tuesday through Saturday each week, starting at 9 pm at the LMC Campus, where guests receive an educational presentation and turtle safety tips before venturing out onto the beach with the education team to observe a nesting female loggerhead turtle. While we can’t guarantee that every tour will spot a nesting female, the odds are pretty good, since up to 25,000 sea turtle nests have been recorded in our 9.5 miles of monitored beaches!
Later this summer, beginning August 1, the other two eco-experiences begin, in the height of nest hatching season! If you’re a morning person, the nest excavation tour is a great way to see how our team collects research data three days after a nest has hatched. You’ll join a member of our team as they unearth the hatched nest, count the hatched and unhatched eggs, and check for any hatchlings alive that might need some help getting to the ocean. Any hatchlings found are brought to LMC for a checkup, and if they are healthy they are released in the evenings to give them the best chance to crawl to the ocean.
If mornings aren’t your thing, you can sign up to see one of the hatchling releases, which also begin August 1. These 8 pm programs include an educational presentation about sea turtles and nesting behavior and conclude with a walk to Juno Beach to see hatchlings being released by our team. While we can’t guarantee that every day will have hatchlings to be released, purchasing admission to this tour does support the ocean and sea turtle conservation work at LMC, and you will learn about nesting regardless.
Summer eco-experiences are a great way to learn about the “original locals” here in Juno Beach, and we hope to see you here for a tour this summer!