Protecting sea turtle nests in SW Florida

Byuser

It’s spring in Southwest Florida! Tour the new 2025 Visitor Digital Guide to plan a vacation.

Sea turtle nesting season and how we can all help
Each May, we witness the beginning of sea turtle nesting season, which runs through Oct. 31. And like our visitors, who return year after year to enjoy our beautiful beaches, the loggerheads return to the same beach time after time to deposit their eggs. Our destination is known for its wildlife. That’s why sea turtle nesting season is so special to those of us who live here as well as to the visitors who travel from all over the world to experience it. This ritual is one of nature’s miracles.

Sea turtles are among the world’s oldest creatures. The seven species that can be found today have been on the earth for about 110 million years. Most common in our area is the loggerhead sea turtle, which lives to be 40-60 years old. They are big – they weigh 250-400 lbs.

Tips to protect our wildlife

  • Shield your lighting so that it is not visible from the beach. Sea turtles go toward the light instead of heading for the water.
  • When enjoying our beaches, take a bag and remove any litter that you may find on your walk. Balloons, plastic bags, foam and other non-degradable pollutants can cause the deaths of sea turtles if mistaken for food.
  • Enjoy your fun at the beach but be sure to fill any holes when you leave.
  • Observe a nesting sea turtle from a distance. 
  • Don’t shine lights on or around her or she may abandon her effort to nest.
  • Forgo taking photos or using smartphones and stay far away where she cannot see you as she crawls back to the water.

Turtle resources

For more information about sea turtle nesting season and how you can help, contact the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) sccf.org/what-we-do/protect-wildlife/sea-turtle-program or Turtle Time, Inc. at turtletime.org