PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — On Wednesday, staff with the Florida Clearwater Aquarium spotted the first two sea turtle nests of the season, signaling the start of sea turtle nesting, which extends from May through Oct. 31.

With public beaches reopening, Pinellas County is reminding beach goers to take care around turtle nests and report any nests that have not been cordoned off.

Loggerheads are the most common sea turtle to nest in Pinellas County, with females generally nesting from early May through August.

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium monitors sea turtle nests on the beaches from Clearwater Beach through Indian Shores; Sand to Sea Inc. monitors the beaches from Redington Shores through Treasure Island; and Sea Turtle Trackers monitors the beaches of St Pete Beach, Shell Key and Outback Key. Honeymoon Island State park rangers monitor the nests there.

Pinellas County has about 35 miles of sandy beaches on its 11 barrier islands.

Sea turtle nest patrols arrive at the beaches at sunrise seven days a week, first searching along the high tide line for evidence of sea turtle nesting, namely marks in the sand left by crawling females.

Once tracks are located, the patrols determine whether there is a nest present or if it was a “non-nesting emergence,” also known as a false crawl.

Patrols mark the nests and tape them off to avoid human disturbance.

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Although in 2019, a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle made a rare nest in Pinellas County, most of the nests belong to loggerhead turtles. As endangered and threatened species, Kemp’s Ridley and Loggerhead turtles are protected under state and federal law, and disturbing their nests is illegal.

The eggs in each nest will typically incubate for 50 to 60 days before hatching. Hatching activity is identified by tracks emerging from the nest sites. After a nest has hatched, turtle watchers wait at least 72 hours then excavate the nest and do an inventory of its contents to determine hatching success.

The turtle trackers report annual nesting data to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, including false crawls, disorientation events, obstructions, predation and vandalism. The trackers also provide data to Pinellas County, including weekly escarpment surveys and lighting surveys.

In 2019, turtle trackers in Pinellas County monitored 254 nests, which produced 12,237 live sea turtle hatchlings.

How You Can Help

Use sea turtle-friendly lighting. If you must use lights near nesting beaches, use amber or red light bulbs that have long-wavelength light (570 nanometers or longer). Cover or shield light fixtures and keep them directed down and low to the ground whenever possible. Do not use lights from cell phones or cameras near nesting beaches. Even these lights can disorient sea turtles.

Under natural conditions, hatchlings and adults use brightness to guide them to the water from the beach. The reflection of the moon and stars over the water usually creates the brightest horizon, but on developed beaches, lots of artificial light (street lights, exterior/interior lights on homes, decorative lighting, etc.) confuse the turtle and cause them to think that those sources of light are where the water is. They crawl toward that light, wasting precious energy they need to reach the ocean. If they become misled by artificial light, hatchlings can become disoriented and die.

For nesting females, artificial lights can deter them from emerging onto a beach at all, forcing them to select less optimal nesting sites to deposit their clutch.

Turn out unnecessary beach lights to help prevent the disorientation of female sea turtles and hatchlings. Close your curtains and be mindful of bright lights shining on the beach.

Most of Pinellas County’s beach communities have ordinances prohibiting lighting that casts glare onto the beach during turtle nesting season from May through Oct. 31.

Beach visitors and residents should also:

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To report the disturbance of a sea turtle nest, or report the sightings of turtles or hatchlings lost, stranded or wandering in the street, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Division of Law Enforcement at 1-888-404-3922 or *FWC from a cell phone.

For more information on sea turtle nests, click here.