Sea Turtle Nesting Season runs from May through October

Most visitors to the beautiful beaches of Florida's Historic Coast know that sea turtles return each summer to nest along our shoreline. While spotting a nesting sea turtle is a rare and memorable experience, visitors can still learn about these remarkable marine reptiles through local conservation efforts and the dedicated volunteers who help protect them.

Sea turtle nesting season officially runs from May 1 through October 31. During this time, trained Sea Turtle Patrol volunteers walk St. Johns County beaches each morning before sunrise, searching for nests that were laid overnight. When a nest is located, volunteers carefully document and mark the area with stakes and caution tape to protect the eggs from disturbance. Their work also includes monitoring beach conditions, reporting hazards, removing debris, and collecting valuable data that helps conservationists better understand local sea turtle populations.

The most common sea turtle species nesting on Florida's Historic Coast is the loggerhead. These impressive reptiles can grow to three feet in length and weigh as much as 300 pounds. Female loggerheads return to the same beaches where they hatched, often after spending nearly two decades at sea. Less commonly, visitors may also hear about leatherback sea turtles, the largest sea turtle species in the world, which occasionally nest along St. Johns County's coastline. All sea turtle species are protected by federal and state law.

Sea turtle nests are fragile and typically contain more than 100 eggs buried deep beneath the sand. High tides, predators, and human activity can all threaten their survival. Visitors can help protect nesting turtles and hatchlings by following a few simple guidelines:

• Observe sea turtles from a distance and never approach or disturb them.
• Avoid using flashlights, cell phone lights, or flash photography on the beach at night.
• Turn off beachfront lights or close curtains after dark during nesting season.
• Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before leaving the beach.
• Remove chairs, tents, toys, and other beach equipment each evening.

Interested in learning more? Mickler's Landing Turtle Patrol, a local nonprofit organization, monitors sea turtle nesting activity along Ponte Vedra Beach and provides educational programs throughout the nesting season. Visitors can follow their conservation efforts, learn about public nest evaluations, and explore volunteer opportunities at www.micklerslandingturtlepatrol.org.

By respecting nesting areas and following sea turtle-friendly beach practices, visitors help ensure that future generations can continue to experience these incredible animals on Florida's Historic Coast.

While spotting a sea turtle requires a bit of luck and good timing, seeing a gopher tortoise on Florida's Historic Coast is much more likely. Unlike sea turtles, which are most active at night and are rarely seen by beachgoers, gopher tortoises can be observed year-round in coastal dune systems, parks, and preserves throughout the destination. Visitors exploring beach walkovers, Anastasia State Park, the GTM Research Reserve, and other natural areas may spot these protected reptiles basking in the sun or slowly making their way between burrows.

Although they are often mistaken for turtles, gopher tortoises are actually land-dwelling tortoises—the only native tortoise species found east of the Mississippi River. Like sea turtles, they have existed for millions of years, but their lifestyles couldn't be more different. While sea turtles may travel thousands of miles across the ocean, gopher tortoises spend most of their lives within a relatively small home range centered around a burrow.

These impressive burrows can extend more than 15 feet long and several feet deep, providing shelter from extreme temperatures, storms, and predators. Gopher tortoises depend on these underground homes to survive, spending much of their time below ground and emerging to feed, bask in the sun, and, during the warmer months, mate.

Gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species because their burrows provide refuge for hundreds of other animals, including snakes, frogs, rabbits, insects, and other wildlife. By creating and maintaining these habitats, they play a critical role in the health of Florida's coastal ecosystems.

Like sea turtles, gopher tortoises lay their eggs in sandy areas, often near the entrance to their burrows. However, they lay far fewer eggs—typically between five and ten at a time—and hatchlings generally emerge in the fall.

Habitat loss remains the greatest threat to gopher tortoises. As development continues, burrows can be damaged or destroyed, placing local populations at risk. Because they are protected by Florida law, gopher tortoises should never be handled or disturbed. The only exception is when a tortoise can be safely moved out of immediate danger from traffic. If this is necessary, move it only a short distance in the direction it was already traveling.

One of the most common misconceptions involves well-meaning beachgoers mistaking a gopher tortoise for a sea turtle. Occasionally, tortoises may be seen near the water's edge, where scientists believe they help remove parasites from their shells and skin. Despite their resemblance to sea turtles, gopher tortoises cannot swim and should never be placed in the ocean. Doing so can quickly lead to drowning.

The best way to enjoy these fascinating animals is to observe them from a respectful distance and allow them to continue their important role in Florida's coastal environment.