The 2023 Sea Turtle Nesting Season has officially begun, and you might have noticed some beach markers in the sand recently. Those nests are blocked off to the public to help protect the sea turtle nests. Sea Turtle Nesting Season begins March 1st and goes through October 31st, and the beaches of Jupiter and Juno Beach are a popular sea turtle nesting spot.
Researchers at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center have been on the look out for sea turtle nests along the beaches in Northern Palm Beach County. Sea turtles nest along the 9.5 mile sandy shoreline from the Northern Palm Beach County Line to the northern boundary of the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park every day. This area is popular for sea turtles due to the current gulf stream that curves towards Florida. Making Jupiter and Juno Beach one of the world’s most popular sea turtle nesting location.
Greens, Leatherbacks, and Loggerhead nests are often found along the beach daily during nesting season. The Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach focuses on protecting the sea turtle nests and their efforts to protect endangered and injured sea turtles before releasing them back into the ocean.
During Sea Turtle Nesting Season it is important to keep our beautiful beaches clean from debris. Here are some helpful tips on how you can help protect our sea turtles.
Do:
Throw away any debris or trash left behind on the beach
Observe sea turtle nest from a distance
Fill in any holes with sand and help provide a clear pathway to and from the ocean
Do not:
Interact or disrupt sea turtle nesting’s – it is illegal
Bring or use balloons on the beach
Harm or Harass sea turtle, their nests, or hatchlings – it is illegal and sea turtles are protected by the United States Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Florida Statute Chapter 370.
