While walking along the beach on St. George Island, Fla., on a cool, breezy night in late April, I discovered numerous holes in the sand located several feet up from the water. I continued my stroll, being careful not to step in any of the holes, wondering what purpose they served and why there were so many. It wasn’t until I saw a sign about sea turtles that I realized the holes were nests and sea turtle nesting season was already underway in Florida. 

Five species of sea turtles inhabit Florida’s waters, with loggerheads being the most common and leatherbacks being the least common. The state is one of the most popular nesting sites, with more than 67,000 nests typically built a year, and nesting season runs from April through September. The hatchlings incubate for two months before breaking out of their shells, climbing on top of the shells and propelling themselves out of their nests. They are then guided to the ocean by the moonlight.

Each year, several counties enlist the help of volunteers to patrol the beaches and search for and mark off nests laid by turtles to prevent beachgoers and residents from endangering the already endangered species. The rental home I was staying in listed tips on how to be turtle-friendly, including: keeping the lights off at night in order to avoid disorienting the hatchlings and making them vulnerable to cars and animals, and picking up trash before leaving the beach. 

Some resorts with beaches that sea turtles return to year after year to lay their eggs offer guests the opportunity to get involved in conservation efforts to protect the creatures. CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa in Mexico has run its Sea Turtle Rescue Program for the past 11 years, inviting guests to comb the beach for turtle eggs and help release hatchlings into the ocean. In 2012, 538 nests were collected with 44,631 turtles released back into the sea. The Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Rico partners with the Department of Natural Resources to offer guests the chance to watch resident hawksbill, leatherback and green sea turtles nest and hatch from March to November. 

Have you ever seen sea turtles nest or hatch? Would you like to participate in sea turtle rescue and release efforts?

— Monique Barrett, advertising and editorial coordinator