10/2/23 @ 10:30 a.m. - Nassau County Emergency Management has notified the Board of County Commissioners of expected tidal flooding. Water levels along the Atlantic Coast and within the Intracoastal Waterway will be 2-3 feet above the normally dry ground late morning and during afternoon high tide cycles through Tuesday.

Also, the drive-on access at American Beach is temporarily closed due to the very high tides. Public Works staff will continue to monitor the situation and will re-open the access once it's safe.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

It's turtle nesting season! From May 1st - October 31st each year, sea turtles visit Amelia Island beaches to nest, and it's up to all of us to make their visit as safe as possible! During this turtle nesting season, we are introducing "Turtle Talk Tuesday". Every Tuesday, we will provide you with facts about our local turtle population and what is being done to protect them.

NESTING SEA TURTLES
Have you ever wondered about the process of a nesting sea turtle? Well, you no longer have to wonder. Below is some information from the Sea Turtle Conservancy which will provide you with insight on this very interesting topic. 

The female turtle emerges at night and ascends to the beach, searching for a suitable nesting spot. Once choosing a site, she using all four flippers to begin digging a pit. Once the pit is complete, she begins to dig an egg chamber using her rear flippers, alternating between the right and left flipper to scoop out damp sand. When she can reach no deeper, she will stop and contractions will begin. Following each contraction, the mother will drop between one and four eggs in short intervals until the chamber is nearly full. She will then use her rear flippers to replace the sand on top of the chamber until the eggs are completely covered. She will then pat down the area using the underside of her shell to camouflage the area. Slowly moving forward, she continues to flip dry sand behind her in an effort to conceal the location of her eggs from predators. The eggs will then incubate for approximately 60 days before hatching.

Below is a fun graphic from the Inwater Research Group showing the Anatomy of a Nesting Sea Turtle. Enjoy!

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

8/15/23 @ 11:30 a.m. 

It's turtle nesting season! From May 1st - October 31st each year, sea turtles visit Amelia Island beaches to nest, and it's up to all of us to make their visit as safe as possible! During this turtle nesting season, we are introducing "Turtle Talk Tuesday". Every Tuesday, we will provide you with facts about our local turtle population and what is being done to protect them. 

This week for Turtle Talk Tuesday, we interviewed Mary Duffy, President of the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch, who provided us with a mid-season update. We were thrilled to hear that not only have Nassau County beaches seen more sea turtle nests than ever before this season, we are also seeing an increase in green turtle nests. This is especially exciting because green sea turtles are one of the species that have been declared by the United States as "endangered". (Loggerhead sea turtles commonly found on Amelia Island are currently classified as "threatened")

As we move forward through the remainder of this sea turtle nesting season, we would like to remind everyone to leave the beach clean, flat and dark. Remove all items and trash when leaving the beach; fill holes; knock down sandcastles; and use turtle-friendly lighting if living along the beach or walking on the beach at night. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer 

7/25/23 @ 8:30 a.m. - It's turtle nesting season! From May 1st - October 31st each year, sea turtles visit Amelia Island beaches to nest, and it's up to all of us to make their visit as safe as possible! During this turtle nesting season, we are introducing "Turtle Talk Tuesday". Every Tuesday, we will provide you with facts about our local turtle population and what is being done to protect them. 

In previous weeks, we have discussed many steps that are being taken on land to protect sea turtles, however this week, we would to focus on how we can protect sea turtles in the open ocean. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), vessel strikes are one of the most common causes of sea turtle injury and death in the United States. In Florida alone, injuries consistent with vessel strikes are observed in 20-30 percent of stranded sea turtles. 

In the southeast, adult sea turtles are particularly vulnerable to vessel strikes during nesting season as they often congregate near nesting beaches.

​NOAA has offered the following tips for vessel operators to help avoid hitting sea turtles: 

• Always be alert
• Wear polarized sunglasses to better see marine animals
• Follow speed zones and other signage
• Travel at the safest minimum speed in areas that sea turtles are known to frequent

Should you encounter a dead, sick or injured sea turtle, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) Alert Hotline at (888) 404-3922 or email Dr. Allen Foley (State Coordinator) at allen.foley@myfwc.com. 

Note: The below photos are credited to Sea Turtle Adventures from the City of Boyton Beach, Florida. 

-Sabrina Robertson 
 Public Information Officer

7/18/23 @ 11:00 a.m. 

For this Turtle Talk Tuesday, we would like to take a moment to thank our lodging partners for helping us educate visitors about sea turtle nesting and what is being done locally to protect the species. 

We recently visited the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island to see strategies they employ for sea turtle safety which includes placement of signage, double checking that all outdoor lights are turtle friendly, and by securing their courtyard switch so it can’t be turned on by guests during turtle nesting season.
 
Through their two staff environmentalists, they also work hard to ensure that guests are aware of local regulations that enhance sea turtle safety. This includes suspending bonfire activities, ensuring all beach furniture is brought in daily, and by placing informational magazines in the room of all guests educating them on sea turtle nesting season and what they can do to keep our beach safe for nesting sea turtles. 
 
We greatly appreciate the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island for doing their part to protect this wonderful species!

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

​






​6/29/23 @ 10:25 a.m.

​Keep Nassau Beautiful, Inc., Rotaract Club of Nassau County FL and Amelia Island Beach Ambassadors are hosting a fireworks roundup event on Wednesday, July 5th from 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. to remove fireworks from the beach.

If you'd like to volunteer, visit Main Beach, Seaside/Sadler, and Peters Point before start time and find a site captain to pick up supplies (bucket, trash pickers). Be sure to bring sunscreen and water for personal use.

Thank you in advance for helping to keep our beaches clean. 

6/20/23 @ 8:45 a.m. 

It's turtle nesting season! From May 1st - October 31st each year, sea turtles visit Amelia Island beaches to nest, and it's up to all of us to make their visit as safe as possible! During this turtle nesting season, we are introducing "Turtle Talk Tuesday". Every Tuesday, we will provide you with facts about our local turtle population and what is being done to protect them. 

For today's Turtle Talk Tuesday, we wanted to share this video of a sea turtle excavation that took place in 2021. Every day, volunteers from the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch walk the length of the beach looking for signs that a sea turtle has come ashore to nest. The nest is then located and roped off for protection. The volunteers return to the nest daily to check it and make sure it's okay. After the incubation period ends in about 50-60 days, they watch to see that eggs have hatched and within a few days, they return to the next to excavate it. This includes releasing any hatchlings that did not emerge from the next and counting egg shards (both hatched and unhatched). 

If you've never been to a sea turtle excavation, you're missing out! Visit the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch webpage to locate an excavation schedule. 

Video credit: Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer 

6/16/23 @ 9:30 a.m. - Every year on June 16th, people across the world recognize World Sea Turtle Day and the importance of sea turtles. Created in 2000, the date of June 16th was chosen to honor the birthday of Dr. Archie Carr, a renowned sea turtle conservationist who founded the Sea Turtle Conservancy in Gainesville. 

Did you know that sea turtles have been on earth for over 100 million years? This means that sea turtles co-existed with dinosaurs. How crazy is that?1?

In recognition of National Sea Turtle Day, we wanted to provide a few fun facts about sea turtles. 
​

• Sea turtles can live between 50 to 100 years
• Some sea turtles travel more than 1,000 miles to return to their nesting ground
• Sea turtles nest multiple times, about 2 weeks apart, and lay up to 125 eggs per nest
• Most sea turtles nest at night, except for the Kemp's ridley
• Leatherback sea turtles can dive nearly 4,000 feet into the water
• Unlike other kinds of turtles, sea turtles cannot retreat into their shell
• A large group of nesting sea turtles is called an "arribadas", which is Spanish for "arrival"

How to Observe World Sea Turtle Day

• Donate to a marine wildlife organization that works to protect the sea turtles. A great one to consider is our local Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch who works tirelessly to protect our local sea turtle population and their nests. 
• Adopt a sea turtle through the Marine Conservation Society.
• Avoid throwing plastic and other harmful debris into waterways and encourage others to do the same.
• Watch movies that feature sea turtles, such as Finding Nemo, A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures, Turtle: The Incredible Journey, and Moana.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer 

​It's Turtle Talk Tuesday!

Today, Maurie Dugger with the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau discusses their partnership with the County in the funding and promotion of the Leave No Trace Ordinance. Adopted in 2016, this Ordinance prohibits personal items from being left on the beach in an effort to reduce impacts to nesting sea turtles and to protect the physical nature of the beach, turtles and shore birds.
​
-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

6/6/23 @ 9:00 a.m. 

It's turtle nesting season! From May 1st - October 31st each year, sea turtles visit Amelia Island beaches to nest, and it's up to all of us to make their visit as safe as possible! During this turtle nesting season, we are introducing "Turtle Talk Tuesday". Every Tuesday, we will provide you with facts about our local turtle population and what is being done to protect them. 

Today, we would like to discuss the County's Leave No Trace Ordinance adopted in 2016. Nassau County’s Leave No Trace Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2016-06) prohibits personal property from being left unattended on Atlantic Beaches within the unincorporated areas of Amelia Island (Peters Point south to the State Park). Any personal items left unattended after 8:00 p.m. will be removed and destroyed. The City of Fernandina Beach has adopted a similar ordinance for City beaches (Peters Point north to Ft. Clinch) so there’s an island-wide effort in keeping our beaches clean and safe for nesting sea turtles

In Nassau County, we encourage you to leave nothing but your footprints. Be sure to remove any and all items before leaving the beach. This includes all beach gear, beach furniture, toys, shoes, fishing gear, garbage, etc. Thank you for helping us keep our beaches clean for nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public InformatioN Officer