07/28/2026
Last night, we had a sea turtle come ashore to nest. Unfortunately, she was met by multiple groups of people surrounding her with flashlights and phone lights. Instead of nesting, she turned around and returned to the water.
By the time our survey team arrived this morning, her tracks had been completely erased by footprints. There was no sign that a turtle had even come onto the beach.
We can't stress this enough: if you encounter a nesting sea turtle, please give her plenty of space. Stay quiet. Turn off all lights. Watch from a distance. A nesting turtle is already under enough stress without people crowding around her.
This message feels especially important right now. Over the past week, Tropical Storm Bertha washed away 18 of our 22 sea turtle nests. Every single new nest is now more valuable than ever.
When nesting turtles are repeatedly disturbed, they may abandon their nesting attempts or choose to nest elsewhere. If that continues, we won't have nests on our beaches—and without nests, there won't be hatchlings emerging from our shoreline later this season.
We know people are excited to see these incredible animals, and we love that so many care about them. But the best way to help is to let them do what they came here to do. Admire them from a respectful distance, keep the beach dark and quiet, and give them the opportunity to successfully nest.
Please help us protect our sea turtles by sharing this message. Every nest matters.
