Leatherback Sea Turtle Hatchling Leaving the Nest

Sea turtle nesting season is here, what to do if you spot a turtle

One of the most magical times of year in the animal kingdom is finally upon us – sea turtle nesting season!

Depending on the specific location, the season begins between March and May and runs until late October. Here’s what to do if you spot a sea turtle or a turtle nest while walking the beach this year.

What to do if you spot a nesting turtle

Even if you’re a daily beachgoer in the warmer months, it’s highly unlikely you’ll see a nesting turtle or hatchlings. If you do see one, however, the best thing to do is keep your distance.

Maintain a minimum of 20 feet from the mama sea turtle (or hatchlings) and stay out of sight. Never shine a light on the turtles, including flashlights, cell phones, flash photography, and video equipment.

Remember: sea turtles dig the dark. Mother sea turtles need plenty of peace, quiet, and darkness to construct a nest and lay their eggs.

Any distractions, especially lights, can frighten her, causing her to retreat back to the ocean before the nest is complete and leaving her eggs vulnerable to predators.

Sea turtles are in serious danger of extinction

Sea turtles are among the most peaceful, awe-inspiring creatures in nature, and yet almost every species is now classified as endangered. Half of them are critically endangered, meaning they face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

The obvious and most effective way to help sea turtles is to ensure you aren’t contributing to pollution. Never leave trash on the beach and pick up plastic bottles, shopping bags, and other dangerous debris when you see them.

The second, and equally important, way to protect the remarkable reptiles is to ensure that as many hatchlings make it to the ocean as possible. To do so, be careful not to disturb nesting turtles, nests, or hatchlings.

How to know if you’re looking at a turtle’s nest

In order to avoid disturbing a sea turtle’s nest, you need to know how to spot them! So here’s what to look for.

Spotting a turtle nest can be tough, as female turtles cover their tracks well to protect their unhatched eggs from potential predators. Rather than a visible nest with eggs, it will look like a large, mounded area of sand. You can also spot nests by the mother sea turtle’s tracks back to the ocean.

More often than not, though, biologists will mark these nests when they appear to help the public avoid them. When you see stakes creating a square in the ground with plastic flags on the posts, there’s likely a turtle nest between them.

If you come across an unmarked sea turtle nest, do not approach it. Contact NOAA or your local wildlife agency right away.