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Sea Turtle Nesting Season On Amelia Island, FL

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May 1st - October 31st

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Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch was established in 1988 and is comprised entirely of volunteers from the community who are dedicated to preserving and protecting the endangered sea turtles who visit our beaches.

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Check our website to join us for public excavations which will start beginning/mid July and could run through October
https://03e779d.netsolhost.com/assets/dailylists/Excavation-Schedule-for-Website.pdf

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Remove all beach furnitures, toys, and trash at the end of the day. Old fishing gear and line can be especially hazardous to our turtles. Fill in holes and knock down sand structures. These things can become detrimental obstructions for our sea turtle moms and hatchlings.

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The marked off area of the beach is a recent nesting site of one of our visiting female sea turtles. On average, there can be anywhere between 80-120 eggs incubating just 1-2 feet beneath the surface.

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Loggerheads are by far our most common nesting turtle on Amelia Island. These turtles are named for their large, “log” like head. They can weigh between 150-375 lbs. A typical loggerhead diet includes jellyfish, sponges, and hard-shelled invertebrates such as various species of crab.

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We typically get a few green sea turtle nests here each season. These turtles are larger than loggerheads and weigh between 265-485 lbs. Green turtles, unlike their name suggest, are mostly brown in color. The green in their name originally came from the coloration of the fatty tissue found behind their flippers and inside the turtle themself. Green turtles are primarily herbivores, hence the green-colored fat deposits.

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Leatherback sea turtles are much more rare on Amelia Island as we have had only 15 in the last 10 years. These sea turtles are the largest of all the species with the average weight around 800 lbs. The largest known leatherback male weighed in at a little more than a ton (>2000lbs). In addition to being very large, leatherbacks are dark and streamlined in appearance. They lack the scales or “scutes” that are typical for other sea turtle species. Even though these turtles are the largest of the species, they exclusively eat jellyfish and other jellylike animals.

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Sea Turtle Nest Excavation on Amelia Island 2021

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Sea Turtle Nest Excavation on Amelia Island 2021

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These nests take an average of 50-60 days to hatch. Once a nest hatches, the baby turtles, or hatchlings, leave the nest and make their journey to the ocean. 3 days after these hatchlings emerge, Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch FWC permitted volunteers will perform what is called an “excavation.” During this excavation, the volunteer will dig into the already emerged nest, emptying and inventorying its’ remaining contents. All empty eggs (shards), unhatched eggs, and live/dead hatchlings are counted. If any live hatchlings are still present in the nest, they are assessed and then released for another opportunity to make it to sea.

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Refrain from the use of lights and flashlights during nesting season. Turn off porch lights and close curtains on beach front property. Sea turtles are born with the instinct to move toward the brightest direction and unnatural lightening can easily disorient the turtles.

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If you see a nesting turtle or hatchlings emerging from a nest, please keep your distance and remain quiet. Keep all lights off, including flash on cameras. Do not touch the turtle/turtles. Not only could this disturb and disrupt the sea turtles’ natural processes but they are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

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Depending on the temperature range each egg receives during incubation, the eggs will produce male or female hatchlings. Warmer temperatures for females, cooler temperatures for males.

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Visitors to Amelia Island frequently ask if they can watch turtles nest or watch hatchlings come out of the nest. Only on a very rare occasion can people witness either of these remarkable events. We do not conduct turtle walks to observe nesting. Amelia Island does not have the nesting density of south Florida beaches, not to mention the fact that turtles nest anytime from sunset to sun up. The same is true for hatchling emergences. Baby turtles hatch from the egg anywhere from 1-3 days before emerging from the nest and crawling to the sea.

Incubation is not exact. There is a 10 day window in which hatchlings will emerge from a nest. Again, this can happen anytime from sunset to sun up.

So what can visitors experience? Three days after we discover that a nest has emerged and hatchlings have crawled to the sea, permitted volunteers will "excavate" the nest. This is simply an inventory of all the remaining nest contents: unhatched eggs, shards (empty egg shells), dead hatchlings, and yes, sometimes even live hatchlings. This event is open to the public. Volunteers will share with spectators the history of that particular nest and general sea turtle facts. If live hatchlings are found, we will release them at that time for the public to see. Excavations will begin in early-mid July and will continue until all the nests have hatched and emerged.

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Visitors to Amelia Island frequently ask if they can watch turtles nest or watch hatchlings come out of the nest. Only on a very rare occasion can people witness either of these remarkable events. We do not conduct turtle walks to observe nesting.

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90% of all sea turtles that nest in the U.S., nest on Florida beaches

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All 5 U.S. species of sea turtles (Hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Green) are listed as endangered or threatened. These species are protected under Ed the Endangered Species act, making it illegal to harm, harass, or kill any sea turtle, hatchling or egg. It is also illegal to import, sell, or transports these turtles or their products.

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On average, only 1-3% of hatchlings will survive to adulthood. So with the medium average of a nest being 100 eggs, only 1-3 turtles can be expected to live to adulthood (30 years).

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Reduce your consumption of plastics. Plastics, such as straws, bags, balloons, are the leading unnatural cause of death in sea turtles.
REUSE water bottles and containers to give items more than “one” life. Bring reusable bags with you when you shop.
RECYCLE items whenever possible to be repurposed and limit them ending in a landfill

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Sea turtles reach adulthood and start reproducing around at around 20-30 years old. Sea turtles on average can live more than 50 years with some species an upwards up 65+ years.

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904-583-1913

Please call Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch if you find a dead or injured sea turtle on the beach or if you find hatchlings wandering in a road, parking lot, or direction away from the water.

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Tortoises live primarily on land while sea turtles spend the majority of their life in water.

Amelia Island is also home to a large population of Gopher Tortoises. While our organization doesn’t directly deal with these species, gopher tortoises are also protected by Florida Statute and should be left alone in their natural habitat.

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You will be redirected to a secure PayPal site to donate to AISTW

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Our organization is entirely supported by the interest and generosity of people like you. AISTW is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible as permitted by law.
EIN: 59-2922080

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Donate to Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch

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Help support Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch by donating or sharing with your friends.

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Kemp’s Ridley are not only the smallest species of sea turtles, weighing around 85 pounds with a shell size of 2 feet in length, but they are also the most endangered. Kemp’s Ridley adults are mostly limited to the Gulf of Mexico, but in recent years, a small number of nesting females have been recorded in the state of Florida. Amelia Island had its first ever Kemp’s nest the summer of 2024. What makes this species ever more unique than its smaller size, is that this is the only female sea turtle species that regularly nests during day time hours!