Clearwater Marine Aquarium: May 1 is Beginning of Sea Turtle Nesting Season

First nest of the season already found; These 10 turtle tips can help save the species

CLEARWATER, Fla. (April 28, 2023) –Clearwater Marine Aquarium reminds the public that sea turtle nesting season begins May 1 and runs through Oct. 31, a critical time for sea turtles who continue their legacy and return to their original beach where they were born to lay their eggs.

As many as five different species of sea turtles nest along beaches in the state of Florida, including leatherbacks, green sea turtles, loggerheads, Kemp’s ridley and hawksbills, all of which are threatened or endangered species.

“We want to remind locals, new residents and tourists that the nesting season is here, and to be attentive when visiting the beach during this special time,” said CMA’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program Manager Lindsey Flynn.

Just this week, Flynn’s team found its first sea turtle nest in their area, which is historically early and the first ever recorded by CMA before the official start of the season on May 1. Last year the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recorded a total of 488 nests in Pinellas County.

She and her team of 24 staff, college interns and volunteers are trained each year to carefully monitor nearly 21 miles of beach, seven days a week, from April 15 through Oct. 31, looking for signs of turtle tracks that show a female turtle has nested nearby.

While sea turtle hatchlings look cute and cuddly, it is important not to interact with them, as they are protected by state and federal laws. It is also very important to take items with you at the end of the beach day, so turtles can nest and hatch successfully overnight.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium recommends 10 Turtle Tips

Pick up your trash, especially plastic bags, which can be mistaken for jellyfish, one of turtles’ favorite foods
Fill any holes dug during your stay on the beach
Knock down sand castles at the end of your day
Hatchling sea turtles are very sensitive and should not be disturbed
If you see a turtle on the beach, please do not interact with it
Never touch or disturb a nest
Keep flashlights and camera phone lights turned off at night
Beach residents and businesses should change outdoor lights to sea turtle friendly options
Use special protective window treatments on doors and windows to minimize interior light from reaching the beach
If you see an injured turtle, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at (888) 404-3922

CMA reports annual nesting data to the FWC and Pinellas County. The team reports nest and false crawl counts, disorientation events, obstruction events, predation and vandalism to FWC.

“A big challenge we face is encouraging residents and businesses to use sea turtle friendly lighting to reduce the number of sea turtles crawling away from the water or wandering on the beach due to the presence of bright artificial lights.” The team provides educational resources to show which types of lights are less distracting to turtles.

CMA also offers a Protect the Nest Program which allows the public to purchase a personalized plaque and virtually adopt a sea turtle nest for the year to protect nests in CMA’s survey area. The wooden, turtle-shaped plaques are affixed to a nest during the season and will be returned at the end of the season to the purchasing individual or family. Visit protectnest.org for more details. If you’d like to see more about Clearwater Marine Aquariums sea turtle nesting program please visit CMA’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program page.

All marine turtle footage taken in Florida was obtained with the approval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under conditions not harmful to marine turtles. Footage was acquired while conducting authorized conservation activities pursuant to FWC MTP-22/23-013 and MTP-22/23-263.

MEDIA CONTACT Marsha Strickhouser, (727) 242-0770, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, mstrickhouser@cmaquarium.org.

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About Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working marine rescue center dedicated to inspiring the human spirit through leadership in education, research, rescue, rehabilitation and release. With a mission to preserve the environment and its marine life, CMA is home to rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, a nurse shark and more. Through Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, CMA conducts important global research focused on protecting manatees, North Atlantic right whales and sea turtles. Major motion picture Dolphin Tale (2011) and its sequel Dolphin Tale 2 (2014) features the true stories of rescued resident dolphins Winter and Hope, inspiring millions around the world. The mission and potential to change people’s lives differentiates Clearwater Marine Aquarium from any other aquarium in the world.

We believe in preserving our environment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life; environmental education; research; and conservation.

A Florida non-profit 501(c)(3) organization