
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! Every Tuesday, we will provide you with fascinating facts about our local turtle population and what is being done to protect them.
For today’s Turtle Talk Tuesday, we’re sharing a special video of a sea turtle excavation from 2021. Every morning during nesting season, volunteers from the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch patrol the beaches, searching for signs that a turtle has come ashore to nest. Once a nest is discovered, it’s carefully marked and roped off for protection.
Volunteers check on the nest daily throughout the incubation period — typically 50–60 days. After the hatchlings emerge, they return to excavate the nest, releasing any hatchlings that didn’t make it out on their own and counting the hatched and unhatched eggshells.
If you’ve never seen a sea turtle excavation up close, it’s truly an unforgettable experience! 🐣 Visit the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch website to locate the latest excavation schedule.
🎥 Video credit: Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau
-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer