Amelia Island Turtle Watch
Many travelers heading to Amelia Island come with their sights set on sun-soaked afternoons and time enjoyed in the water. While this vacation destination is certainly brimming over with plenty of both, it’s also home to some spectacular wildlife including sea turtles. If you have a passion for wildlife conservation, learning more about the Amelia Island Turtle Watch while you’re in town could end up being the highlight of your stay.
When you’re ready to plan your adventure to Amelia Island, don’t forget to access our exclusive Amelia Island Vacation Guide! This free resource is packed with recommendations for the best activities and attractions, ensuring you make the most of your trip. Staying at The Addison on Amelia Island means you’ll have everything you need just a short distance away.
Turtles That Call Amelia Island Home
In total, Amelia Island is fortunate enough to be home to three species of turtles that currently sit on the threatened or endangered species list according to federal and state authorities. These include green sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, and leatherback sea turtles as well. All three species are vital to their marine environments and find a place to lay eggs each year on the beaches of Amelia Island. Unfortunately, the odds of survival for newly hatched sea turtles is fairly low due to both natural and manmade shoreline hazards. Only around 3% of hatchlings survive into adulthood, making the protection of sea turtles across Amelia Island that much more important.
When is Turtle Season?
The designated sea turtle nesting season across Amelia Island runs from May 1 each year through October 31. If you’re fortunate enough to be heading this way during that timeframe, you might just get to observe sea turtles laying their eggs or even hatching!
Local Protections in Place
The Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch is a vital area conservation group made up of staff and volunteers dedicated to helping sea turtles thrive in the area. These individuals come together to report observed nesting data to the state and work tirelessly to educate the public on the importance of sea turtle conservation while marking fragile nests at the same time. When a nest is located, it’s clearly marked and monitored by the group for around 50 to 60 days. When the hatchlings emerge, a follow-up nest excavation takes place about three days later to count egg shard and unhatched eggs for research purposes. Hatchlings that didn’t make it out of the nest are also released to the sea with options for public observation of this practice.
Protect the turtles, check out this helpful guide to leaving only footprints from AmeliaIsland.com.
How to Participate
Watching nest excavations is an exciting and insightful experience for Amelia Island visitors. The majority of these begin to happen around mid-July and official excavation schedules can be found on the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch website.
The Role You Play in Protecting Local Sea Turtles
If you’re visiting Amelia Island during nesting season, you can help the Amelia Island Turtle Watch’s conservation efforts by being extremely respectful of any and all marked nests you come upon. Visitors are encouraged to fill in holes they dig in the sand during their day at the beach before leaving and always take plastic, trash, beach gear, and fishing lines away upon departure. It’s important to keep a safe distance from any sea turtles you see coming to shore this time of year and to avoid using any flashlights or phone lights when observing turtles and nests as light pollution can easily disorient sea turtles during this fragile time.
Book Your Stay Today
The next time travel plans bring you to Amelia Island, be sure to book your accommodations at The Addison on Amelia. Here, you can count on comfort, luxury, and style always leading the way to added fun. You’ll also find CVB rack cards for turtle season in our rooms to help educate guests on what to expect when their trip aligns with turtle nesting season. We look forward to seeing you in Florida soon!