Sea Turtles of Southwest Florida

The Gulf is home to over 15,000 species of marine wildlife, and among the most magical are the five sea turtle species that nest on southwest Florida's beaches: loggerheads, greens, Kemp's ridleys, leatherbacks, and hawksbills. If you're visiting Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach between May and October, you might just witness one of nature's most breathtaking rituals playing out on the very same stretch of sand where you laid your towel that afternoon.
 

Timing is Everything

Sea turtle nesting season in southwest Florida generally runs March through October, with peak activity from May through July. During that time, female sea turtles come ashore at night to nest and lay their eggs, often returning to the same beaches where they were born. It's ancient, instinctive, and genuinely awe-inspiring if you're lucky enough to see it.
 

Fascinating Sea Turtle Facts

Loggerheads are the most common nesting sea turtle in Florida and a beloved part of life here in Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach—beloved enough that our local guide Tiki is modeled after one. Here's what makes all five of our nesting species so remarkable:

• A single turtle can lay 2 to 6 clutches in one season, with about two weeks between each one, and each clutch contains anywhere from 65 to 180 eggs.
• Sand temperature determines the sex of the hatchlings: warmer sand produces females, cooler sand produces males.
• Turtles return to the region where they were born to nest, sometimes within a mile of where they hatched.
• A satellite-tracked leatherback once completed a 12,774-mile trans-Pacific migration.
• Hatchlings navigate to the water using the faint natural light of the horizon, which is why artificial beach lighting is such a problem.
• 7 out of 10 hatchlings make it to the water. Only 1 in 1,000 survive to sexual maturity.
• The Kemp's ridley is the only sea turtle that nests during the day; all others nest at night.
   

How to Avoid Injuring Turtles or Disrupting the Nesting or Hatching Process

All sea turtles are protected under state and federal law. Disturbing a turtle, its nest, or its eggs is illegal, and ordinances prohibit artificial light from reaching the beach at night during nesting season. Here's how to do your part:

• Clean up before you leave:

  Remove everything from the beach at night, including chairs, umbrellas, towels, and toys.

• Fill your holes:

  Hatchlings can get trapped in even shallow holes in the sand. Fill them in before you go.

• Keep it dark:

  Avoid flashlights, vehicle lights, or any light source that could reach the beach and disorient a nesting female or a hatchling.

• Keep your distance:

  If you spot a nesting turtle or a hatchling making its way to the water, enjoy the moment from at least 30 feet away. Stay quiet and calm.

• Never touch wildlife:

  It's tempting to help a hatchling along, but don't. Let nature do its thing.

Sea turtles have been making this journey for over 100 million years. We're just lucky enough to share the beach with them.

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