Florida is home to many sea turtles who return to our beaches annually to lay their eggs. Sea turtles, their nests and their hatchlings are protected by both federal and state laws. There are different rules you need to follow when walking the shores of Florida - both east and west coasts. Sea turtle nesting season begins in March and brings thousands of female turtles to our shores.
So what do you do if you encounter a sea turtle? Let’s take a look…
- Stay away and out of sight of the turtle.
- Do not shine flashlights in the sea turtle’s face. This can cause her to leave and discourage her from nesting.
- Do not take pictures with a flash. This can disturb the nesting process.
- Do not touch or handle the eggs or place anything in the nest.
- Do not touch or attempt to ride the sea turtle.
- Do not disturb the turtle tracks. These are used by researchers in the morning to document which type of turtle nested on the beach.
- You can still enjoy watching a sea turtle nest without disturbing the nesting process.
Let’s keep our sea turtles safe and returning to our beaches.
Happy traveling!!
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