May – October · Nesting Season
Nesting season on the Emerald Coast
Sea turtles nest on these beaches mainly May through October. Loggerhead, green, leatherback and Kemp's ridley turtles haul up at night to lay eggs, and hatchlings head to the sea weeks later. That means a few simple rules protect them — and keep hatchlings safe.
🐢 What you can do
- Keep lights off on the beach at night — lights confuse hatchlings heading to the water.
- Don't touch a nest or move a hatchling. Call the FWC Wildlife Alert line if you see a problem.
- Fill in holes and take chairs, tents and toys off the sand at night so turtles aren't trapped.
- Give hatchlings a clear path to the sea.
- Respect taped-off nest areas.
🐢 If you see a turtle or nest
Keep your distance and stay quiet. Report nesting or disoriented hatchlings to the FWC Wildlife Alert line and let trained volunteers help.
🐢 A fun note worth knowing
Here's something you probably didn't know. There are actual tickets wrapped up in this whole turtle thing. Disturbing a nest or a turtle isn't just a polite please don't. In Florida it can come with a real fine, and some places have made that number high enough to raise an eyebrow. Most people on the beach have no idea it's enforced at all, which is exactly why it's worth knowing.
And this isn't just a Florida thing either. Along Kenya's coast in East Africa, local communities look after green and hawksbill nests through the same nesting season, and fishers call the wildlife crews the moment a turtle gets tangled in a net so it can be set free and counted. Same turtles, other side of the world, same quiet effort. A little space and a little common sense here means more hatchlings make it to the water, and you stay well clear of that fine in the process.