Dos and Don'ts of Sea Turtle Nests
Posted by Amanda Hicks on Monday, June 26th, 2017 at 3:29pm.
Singer Island and North Palm Beach are home to some of the most populated sea turtle nesting sites in the world. Last year, in the 10-mile stretch from north Singer Island to south Jupiter Island, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center recorded a total of 16,000 sea turtle nests, a record-breaking number. Since it's the middle of the season, you'll surely come across a nest, maybe even a sea turtle. It's important to protect the nests of these creatures as many species, like the loggerhead, are declining. Here is a list of things you can do to help preserve the turtles:
Do:
- Throw away debris left on the beach
- Fill in holes in the sand, knock down sand castles, and move objects that could obstruct a sea turtle’s path to and from the ocean
- If you come across a sea turtle laying eggs, observe at a distance from behind the turtle
- Look out for disoriented baby turtles on trails and roads nearby
- Keep your lights out near the beach
- Bring weak or disoriented hatchlings to Loggerhead Marinelife Center. They can be placed in the 24-hour drop-off cooler outside the Center’s entrance (14200 US Highway One, Juno Beach, FL 33408)
Don’t:
- Interact with or disrupt a sea turtle when it's laying eggs (Doing so could get you in trouble also)
- Use lighting on the beach at night including flashlights and cell phones
- Touch baby turtles on their way to the ocean
- Take or touch empty egg shells or unhatched eggs
- Harm or harass sea turtles, their nests or babies
- Use shovels to dig on the beach during nesting season