Sea Turtle Nesting Serious on Sanibel

We are going to forgo using this blog post for commercial messages as--- if there is one take away we want to promote--- it is to TAKE CARE of the nesting sea turtles on our Island.


If the residents of any community ever were, the people of Sanibel and Captiva Islands are sea turtle-oriented. A successful sea turtle research and conservation effort was founded on the islands in 1959. Sea turtle egg hatcheries to protect eggs from predators, tagging of nesting adult female loggerheads, some hatchling head-starting efforts, and public education were among the workload of dedicated volunteers. The first documented instances of multiple nesting by Gulf Coast loggerheads and East Coast-tagged loggerheads later discovered re nesting on Sanibel were recorded. Field studies also revealed that loggerheads are not as faithful in their selection of nesting sites as was supposed. Some female loggerheads moved along the Florida coast as far as fifty miles during their 11-day inter nesting interval. But despite the natural appeal of the Island for sea turtles, they desperately need your help!




It is a rare and special sight to come across a nesting sea turtle. Unfortunately, this nesting season, beginning in May and lasting til October, there have been numerous instances of beachgoers interfering with the nesting attempts of these ancient creatures, sometimes willfully. There have been nesting attempts abandoned due to furniture, tents, and other debris left on the beach, as well as a number of nesting attempts interrupted by uneducated beachgoers. After a certain number of attempts, a sea turtle that has been unable to nest will eject its eggs in the water, so failed nesting attempts matter greatly.



Sea turtles are federally protected by the Endangered Species act making it illegal to interfere with their nesting and hatching in any way. Things that fall under this category include:

• Leaving furniture, tents, and toys on the beach

• Approaching a nesting sea turtle (especially with a flashlight)

• Interfering with hatchlings or using flash photography or flashlight of hatchlings

• Taking flash photographs of sea turtles

It is important to remember that the city ordinances require dark beaches and require all beachgoers to take everything off the beach by 9 p.m. These ordinances exist to protect sea turtles and ensure their continued survival for generations to come.


Sea turtles are easily disturbed by movement, lights, and noise. If you encounter a sea turtle on a nighttime stroll, please, keep a respectful distance (at least 150 ft) and watch quietly.


The nesting numbers are down this year statewide. Added to the catastrophic effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a successful nesting season on Sanibel and Captiva islands can help sea turtles throughout the gulf survive and rebound.