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FAQs: Sea Turtles and Hurricanes

Updated: Sept. 5, 2008

• When is sea turtle nesting season?
• How do sea turtles adapt to natural events such as hurricanes?
• What impact did the hurricane season of 2004 have on sea turtle nests?
• What impact has the 2008 hurricane season had on sea turtles nests?
• What if the stakes marking nests are washed away?
• What laws protect sea turtles?
• How can beachgoers help sea turtles and their hatchlings survive the hurricane season?

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When is sea turtle nesting season?

Sea turtle nesting season occurs from March 1 to Oct. 31, overlapping hurricane season. During the nesting season, female sea turtles come ashore several times to lay eggs on the beach.

How do sea turtles adapt to natural events such as hurricanes?

Each nesting female turtle deposits eggs several times during the nesting season. This ensures that even if a storm hits at some point during the nesting season, there is a high probability that at least a few of her eggs will incubate successfully.

What impact did the hurricane season of 2004 have on sea turtle nests?

In 2004, when Florida sustained direct hits from hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne, 42 percent of the loggerhead nests hatched, and the percentage of  hatchlings that successfully emerged from those nests was well within the normal range.

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What impact has the 2008 hurricane season had on sea turtles nests?

A large percentage of the 2008 nests successfully hatched prior to Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricane Gustav. Both loggerhead and green turtles are still actively nesting, although the peak of the season has passed. The FWC has documented new nests since both storms. The season is not a total loss, even in some areas that sustained severe erosion.

What if the stakes marking nests are washed away?

Sea turtle eggs and nests are amazingly resilient. Even if the stakes marking the nests have been washed away, it does not mean the nest has been lost. Each year stakes are lost, but the nests still hatch, despite being washed over by waves and despite accumulation or erosion of sand.

What laws protect sea turtles?

All sea turtles that nest in Florida are either threatened or endangered species and are protected by state and federal laws. In addition, it is a violation of both state and federal laws to disturb their nests.

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How can beachgoers help sea turtles and their hatchlings survive the hurricane season?

Here are some guidelines for beachgoers to follow:

• If sea turtle eggs are discovered rolling around on the beach or in the surf, leave the eggs alone. While the eggs will not develop into hatchings, they still contribute to the beach and ocean ecosystems in the form of nutrients.
• If you find a nest that is eroding away, contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922 to report the situation and receive direction.
• If you find a hatchling that is actively crawling to the surf, allow it to continue its trek to the ocean without interference. Newly emerged hatchlings are well adapted to traverse surprisingly large waves and will be able to swim through the wave action.
• If you find a hatchling that is not actively crawling or appears sick, injured or lethargic, contact the Wildlife Alert Hotline to report the situation and receive direction. Do not put these hatchlings in the water. They will need rehabilitation before they may be returned to the ocean.
• Do not dig into a marked or unmarked nest to save eggs or hatchlings as a storm approaches or recedes. This most likely will cause unnecessary harm to the nest, despite good intentions.
• No one should transport eggs or hatchlings without authorization from the FWC. Eggs and/or hatchlings may not be kept in homes or personal aquariums.
• Beachfront residents, municipalities and counties should not assume a storm has removed all sea turtle nests in the area. Coordination with the Department of Environmental Protection, local government and the FWC needs to occur before any activity or emergency storm response on the beach.
• The very best thing to do to help sea turtles is to allow nature’s cycles to continue uninterrupted.

To report any wildlife law violation, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).

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