Sea turtle nesting season has seen record numbers in the Jupiter and Juno Beach areas, and it’s not even over.
On the 9.5 miles of local beach that Loggerhead Marinelife Center monitors, 15,261 sea turtle nests have been recorded as of Aug. 5.
That’s quite a jump from the previous record set during the 2012 season, with 13,173 sea turtle nests.
Loggerhead sea turtles have led the pack this year with 10,430 nests. Green sea turtle nests have totaled 4,618, and leatherback sea turtles had 213 nests.
Nesting season began March 1 and continues through the end of October, so those numbers can only grow from there.
Dr. Charles Manire, the director of research and rehabilitation at LMC, said he is happy with this season’s turnout.
Although researchers are unsure of what led to this season’s record, Manire suggested it may be a sign of conservationists’ hard work.
“Although we cannot know for sure, we hope that it is an indication that the populations of both loggerheads and greens are rebounding due to 30 years of conservation efforts, not just here, but around the world,” he said in a press release.
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