Top 5 Ways to Experience Florida's Sea Turtles
A not-to-be missed experience in Florida is getting the chance to see SEA TURTLES! So here's a guide to help you experience sea turtles in the St Augustine area (Northeast Florida) AND action steps for you to get involved with sea turtle conservation.
SEA TURTLE SEASON:
May 1st is the start of sea turtle nesting season in Florida, and along the 40 miles of coastline in St. John’s County, you’re at least likely to see some evidence.
FIRST THING’S FIRST: The Guidelines
Don’t approach the nesting sea turtle mommas, nor the hatchlings, nor any that appear to be stranded due to injury or illness.
Don’t shine a bright light at them, if you’re finding the sea turtles at night. If you live or are visiting the area, lights out on the porches and windows facing the ocean. The sea turtles can get disoriented and may not make it to the ocean.
WHERE CAN I FIND SEA TURTLES?
1. There are plenty of beautiful nesting sites for the momma sea turtles, from Vilano and Ponte Vedra south to Anastasia State Park, St Augustine Beach to Crescent Beach and Fort Matanzas beachside, continuing on down the coast.
It’s a special moment if you’re lucky enough to see a sea turtle, emerging from the ocean or hatchlings exploding out from a nest to make the mad dash to the ocean. Most of this will happen overnight, but occasionally right around sunset or sunrise, too.
Look for tracks in the sand, and every morning and evening, members from St. John’s County and the Sea Turtle Patrol will monitor the 40 miles of beaches for these tracks. They will put up posts and signs to signal that there’s a potential sea turtle nest, and which species it belongs to.
Each species of sea turtle makes a unique track, so it’s easy to identify. When the hatchlings emerge, there are lots of them, so the tracks can be difficult to distinguish, but nonetheless you can tell they emerged.
The most common nesting sea turtle is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, accounting for about 90% of all the nests found. Next up, the Green Sea Turtles, and you may likely see them in the Intracoastal waterways. Leatherback Sea Turtles also nest here, and they are huge! Their nests are quite obvious. Rarely do we see Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles, and they are a day-nester. Definitely, don’t approach a nesting momma sea turtle because they can get distracted and scared, and will leave the area. You can also get in BIG trouble with the law if you are too close and fall under the definition of “harassing sea turtles”. This includes “helping” hatchlings to the ocean. Yes, it can be a long, perilous journey, but that’s nature.
Photo from Adobe Stock
The best thing you can do to help the sea turtles, big and small, is to keep their path clear of debris, holes, and car ruts; keep other people and their dogs back; and turn off lights opposite the ocean and turn off flashlights.
ONE MORE TYPE OF TURTLE
Rather a tortoise, the Gopher Tortoise. These domed shelled, elephant-like legged guys charging down the beach are not little sea turtles, so again, do not approach. They don’t belong in the ocean and they aren’t trying to visit their sea turtle girlfriends. Science doesn’t work like that.
These determined Gopher Tortoises march down to the ocean, roll around in the surf a bit, and then turn around and leave. It’s possible that they could have something irritating their skin, like parasites, and the saltwater helps to relieve that issue. The cause of the behavior is unclear, but don’t fret over those crazy torts. You may likely see them crossing the roads, eating vegetation, and see their burrows in the dunes. Very cool, helpful tortoises around St. Augustine. They are quite common to see at Anastasia State Park.
2. Visit the Whitney Lab Sea Turtle Hospital . Currently, their facility is under construction. Check their Facebook and Website for updates. The sea turtle hospital is dependent on donations and volunteers to help them care for sea turtles.
3. Visit Marineland Dolphin Adventure, right across the street: They have two “resident” sea turtles. Rocky, Loggerhead ST and Pokey, Kemp’s Ridley ST.
4. Beach Walk tours or local ecotourism companies: While you aren’t guaranteed to see a wild sea turtle, you will get a lot of great information about them, learn about why they are protected, and how you can help them. You might see cool shorebirds, ghost crabs, and maybe even a Gopher Tortoise marching the beach or munching on vegetation, or see wild Bottlenose Dolphins swimming next to your boat.
5. Volunteer with the Sea Turtle Patrol groups. You can follow Facebook Groups like the St. Augustine Beach Sea Turtle Hatching Watch Group, Flagler Turtle Patrol, and others for recent sightings and sea turtle releases from the Sea Turtle Hospital. That's a guaranteed moment to see a sea turtle and to see a once sick or injured sea turtle released back into the wild ocean. It's a beautiful moment!
OFF THE BEACH SEA TURTLE "SIGHTINGS"
Grab your cameras and stop by the Kookaburra along A1A. They have 3 giant sea turtle murals on the side of their building, plus another on the street side of Hurricane Grill & Wings.
There are a few shops in downtown St. Augustine, along St. George to see more sea turtle souvenirs and artworks. It ranges from cheap to beautiful home decor.
NOTE: Never buy hawksbill shell souvenirs, or make certain the product is faux sea turtle shell. Hawksbill sea turtles are still being killed for their beautiful shells, even though they are a protected species in many countries. Check out the new SEE Shell App that uses AI to help detect whether an item is real or fake tortoiseshell products.
Nesting Season lasts between May 1st to Oct 31st, roughly. It depends on the sea turtles themselves when they start and finish nesting. During these dates, certain beach use is restricted and monitored, like lights out along the beach and driving on the sand is restricted and patrolled.
Driving on the beach is still allowed during those times, however all cars must be off the beach in the evening and it’s considered a highway, so you can get a ticket. Be aware of the restrictions so it doesn’t ruin your vacation.
Disclaimer: I volunteered for the Whitney Lab Sea Turtle Hospital and worked for the St. John’s County Habitat Conservation. Permits are issued to the Sea Turtle Patrol to handle sea turtles, nests, and egg remains.