Sea Turtle Alert

Sea turtle nesting season is starting. Get the lowdown on being a good turtle neighbor

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Leatherback Sea Turtle hatchling. Image courtesy of Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Leatherback sea turtle hatchling. Image courtesy of Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Now through the end of October, thousands of loggerhead, leatherback, and green sea
turtle mothers will use our beaches and lower dunes to nest and lay eggs. Last year, Loggerhead Marinelife Center documented more than 16,900 nests and estimate that 800,000 hatchlings were produced from last season alone. Do your part by following LMC’s “Respect the Locals” campaign, which includes keeping your distance from eggs and nests; allowing hatchlings to crawl to the ocean on their own, without your assistance; turning off the lights at your house (artificial lighting can lead sea turtle hatchlings astray); and filling holes on the beach and knocking over sandcastles so hatchlings are not hindered as they journey to the ocean. LMC offers guided turtle walks if you’d like to witness the amazing spectacle up close; online registration began on May 1.

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