November 8, 2022 Season Update

“Are there more nests on the beach this year?”- This is a question our dedicated survey groups received on a regular basis during the 2022 sea turtle nesting season in Volusia County. The answer is- YES! We exceeded all expectations this year with 1,425 nests laid on our beaches. This was the highest nesting year on record since 1988 and it beats our previous record of 984 nests set in 2019. In detail, we have counted 1,334 loggerhead nests, our most common species, 11 leatherback, 79 green turtle and 1 rare Kemp’s ridley nests. In addition, we counted 1,292 false crawls left on the beach. A false crawl is when a sea turtle crawls out of the ocean on the beach but does not make a nest. If you are doing the math, that is 2,717 total crawls in 2022!

Unfortunately, our season did end abruptly with the passing of Hurricane Ian on September 28^th. As the storm approached, we only had 82 nests left incubating on the beach. Our survey groups did post storm assessments and determined that all remaining nests were lost during the storm. While we are sad to see our season end this way- we still have a lot to celebrate!  To end the season on an up note, the last nest was laid on October 27^th, weeks after Ian had destroyed all the earlier remaining nests.  We are now expecting a December hatch date if the weather promotes egg development. 

Of our 1,425 nests this year, 891 were evaluated for reproductive success and almost 78,000 hatched eggshells were counted! Other nests that could not be fully evaluated include 77 nests where eggs could not be located, 7 nests depredated by a predator, 1 nest that was dug up by another nesting sea turtle, 1 nest that had too much sand accretion on top to locate the eggs, 81 nests washed out due to high tides and beach erosion from Hurricane Ian and during high tides leading up to Hurricane Ian.  Six more nests were tidally inundated which means that the eggs were held under water for more than 3 days consecutively, which essentially drowns the eggs, and 3 nests which hatched, but the eggs were washed out or scavenged by a predator before they could be counted. An additional 357 nests were not excavated due to a new marking scheme provided by FWC to help alleviate the heavy workload of evaluating all the nests. Do not worry though, we are still able to get all the necessary data and share our success story with you!

In greater detail, the evaluation of all nests combined resulted in the following for each category:

• Hatched Eggs: 77,901
• Unhatched Eggs: 14,272 (11,278 whole eggs, and 2,994 broken eggs)
• Pipped Live: 78 (these are turtles that have cracked the eggshell open with their egg tooth but have not fully emerged from the egg)
• Pipped Dead: 1,211
• Live hatchlings: 1,089 (these are turtle found in the nest cavity still buried under the sand)
• Dead hatchlings: 1,159

In addition to these evaluations, we have had 92 reports of sea turtle disorientation events. This happens when a nest hatches and the hatchlings become confused by bright artificial lighting in the vicinity of a nest. The lights confuse the hatchlings and may lead them away from the water. While this number is the highest we have seen, remember we had over 1,400 nests this year too! The disorientation rate for 2022 was 6.4%, which is only slightly higher than our last few years. The reports indicate that between 2,485 and 6,090 hatchlings were disoriented during these events but most of them found their way to the water eventually. This year we received multiple reports of bright interior lights as well as multiple flashlights on the beach at night. Please check the lighting portion of our website for more information on the how artificial lighting harms sea turtles and tips on how to help make our beach dark for sea turtles!

Washback Season started August 1^st

Washback sea turtles are recently hatched turtles that have been deposited on the beach in a line of seaweed during or after a storm. Washbacks typically are found during high tides between August 1 and November 30. Washback turtles are collected and rehabilitated at the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet. We do not encourage people to put these washback turtles back in the water, as they are often so exhausted that they will not make it back offshore on their own. Please notify a lifeguard or Beach Safety officer if you find one on the beach.

So far this year, Volusia County Beach Safety, our Washback Watchers volunteer group, and the general public have recovered 11 washbacks that have been transported to the Marine Science Center for treatment, rehabilitation, and release.

Nesting Season Basics

Each year, nesting season officially starts May 1^st and runs through October 31^st, which means that hundreds of sea turtles will be making their way onto Volusia County’s managed beaches to lay thousands of eggs in the sand each summer! Nesting activity usually occurs after dark so chances of seeing a sea turtle are slim, however, you will see posted nest areas during the day.

As the ocean temperature rises in the spring, sea turtles are triggered to begin the nesting season. Each evening on coastlines throughout Florida, female sea turtles will emerge from the ocean to lay clutches of eggs along sandy beaches. Each nest contains about 100 eggs on average that are buried deeply in dry sand. They incubate below ground from 50-70 days on average. When they hatch, usually under the cover of darkness, these tiny baby turtles run in a frenzy to the ocean where they will start the next phases of their lives, primarily spent in the ocean following currents to their next life stage.

One female turtle will lay 2-7 clutches during a season. On average in Volusia County, we get over 500 nests. This indicates that potentially only a couple hundred female sea turtles produce all these nests, rather than 500 individual females each season. Please help us keep beaches safe for sea turtles and people by leaving nothing behind after enjoying your day on the sand!

Did you know that nutrients from sea turtle eggs encourage dune vegetation to grow? Well-vegetated dunes mean better protection for beachfront property against heavy winds and strong storms. In this way, sea turtle nesting can help humans. In return, there are many ways that we can help sea turtles. Below are simple tips and reminders on how to keep the beach safe and fun this summer:

• Remove shade tents, chairs, and other furniture from the beach at night. This will prevent sea turtles from becoming entangled or trapped as they crawl on the sand looking for a place to nest.
• It is fun to dig on the beach and make sandcastles. However, holes and sandcastles left on the beach overnight can become a danger to humans and sea turtles. Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before you leave the beach.
• Please don't disturb a turtle that is crawling to or from the ocean or laying eggs. Watch quietly from a distance of at least 30 feet away. Keep lights and flash photography off and speak quietly.
• Lights can discourage adult females from nesting and disorient hatchlings, limiting their ability to find the sea. Ensure lights from your property or rental space are not visible from the beach by turning them off, shielding them, or shutting your curtains at night.  
• Never shine lights on sea turtle nests, hatchlings, or adult turtles. Flashlight and lantern use is discouraged; however, a flashlight with a red LED bulb or a light covered with a red filter is less disruptive to sea turtles.
• Avoid flash photography on the beach at night and never discharge fireworks, which are prohibited on the beach.
• Avoid walking or cycling over marked nests or unmarked turtle tracks. Tracks in the sand help our volunteers find and mark nests.
• Do not disturb markers or protective screening over turtle nests. These nests are being studied and protected.
• Avoid walking on vegetated beach dunes by using designated beach access points.
• Please don't litter. Cigarette butts, fishing line, and other trash can harm turtles along the beach and is unsightly for beach visitors.
• If you see a sick, injured, or dead sea turtle or other animal that needs help, DO NOT attempt to push it into the water or capture it. It may be too tired to survive. Please contact the nearest Beach Safety officer or lifeguard or call 1-888-404-FWCC.

The volunteer groups that survey the beaches each morning for sea turtle activity are able to tell which species has laid each nest by the distinct tracks the mother leaves the night before as she crawls from the ocean to the dunes and back to the water. When they find a track that leads to buried eggs, they establish a distinct barrier to mark the nest location which keeps people from disturbing the sand at that location. The barrier remains in place until the nest hatches and the contents are evaluated.

To learn more about sea turtles and the groups that survey Volusia County beaches, or to adopt a nest you can visit their websites:

• South of the Inlet: NSB Turtle Trackers http://nsbturtles.org/
• North of the Inlet: Volusia Turtle Patrol http://turtlepatrol.com

In terms of the number of nests laid, the east coast of Florida is considered 1 of 2 top world-wide loggerhead nesting regions. In fact, the loggerhead sea turtle is commonly referred to as Florida’s sea turtle. The southeastern United States, namely Florida, hosts the world’s largest nesting aggregation of loggerhead sea turtles. In 2021, there were 96,666 loggerhead sea turtle nests in Florida. Here in Volusia County, we expect several hundred loggerhead nests each season, with an average season yielding over 500 nests on County-managed beaches. During the 2022 season we had 1,334 loggerhead nests!

According to FWC marine biologists, between 1998 and 2007, there had been a drastic decline in all populations of the loggerhead sea turtles nesting in Florida. Since 2007, loggerhead sea turtle nesting has been on the rise with 2016 setting a new record high! For more info, please visit http://www.myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/nesting/loggerhead/

Beginning in late June or early July we expect to start seeing nests from green sea turtles. Green turtles typically lay fewer nests than loggerheads on Volusia County-managed beaches (in the 10’s instead of 100’s). Green turtle nesting numbers appear to be increasing throughout the state and within Volusia County. For more info, please visit http://www.myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/nesting/green-turtle/ In 2022, we observed 78 green turtle nests on Volusia County-managed beaches, beating 2021 by one nest becoming our third highest year for green turtles!

Leatherback sea turtles typically concentrate their Florida nesting efforts in the state’s southeastern counties. This particular species has a longer nesting season than other sea turtles (February through August). In 2022, we had 11 documented leatherback nests! More info can be found here http://www.myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/nesting/leatherback/

We were lucky enough to be visited by two rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtles during the 2022 season! One turtle successfully deposited her eggs in Ormond Beach while the second turtle was witnessed attempting to nest in New Smyrna Beach. She eventually false crawled but left behind three eggs on the sand. The survey team buried her eggs and were pleasantly surprised when two of them successfully hatched! The smallest and most endangered of sea turtle species, Kemp’s ridleys primarily nest in large groups on Mexican and Texas beaches, though a few nest each year in Florida. Unlike many of the other sea turtle species that nest primarily at night, Kemp’s ridleys often nest in the daytime during overcast, windy conditions.

Sea Turtle Strandings

In 2022, we have seen a below average amount of stranded turtles in our area waters. The count is currently around 70. The nearshore Atlantic waters and lagoon systems around Volusia County are home to varying life stages and multiple species of sea turtles. As well, each spring sea turtles migrate along with warm water temperatures back to their nesting beaches and mating areas from sometimes distant foraging regions. During these life cycles and migrations, many become ill or injured and wash in along our beaches and other waterways either deceased or in need of medical help. Each turtle gets responded to in a timely manner and scientific data is collected from each individual. This information is tracked and compiled by the FWC and a summary of it can be found on their webpage by visiting http://ocean.floridamarine.org/SeaTurtle/flstssn/cVolusia.html

Remember: sea turtles dig the dark! Sea turtle lighting regulations are in effect each May-October!

The Volusia County lighting ordinance is enforced throughout the entire county. The goal of the ordinance is to reduce the amount of light visible from the beach. Sea turtles can be misguided or deterred from nesting by artificial bright lights. Properties within line of sight of the beach have a responsibility to do their part in ensuring lighting on their property does not affect sea turtle nesting and hatching activity in the vicinity. We can assist you if you have questions. Please check the lighting portion of our website for more information.

Shorebird nesting season is over for the season!

Teams surveyed the inlet parks and county beaches for nesting shorebirds from April to August. All shorebird nests laid on county beaches are cordoned off from human disturbance so that they have the best chance of success. In total, 7 nesting areas were established for Wilson’s Plover nests on County beaches and islands surrounding Ponce Inlet. In addition, an area was marked off to protect a small Least Tern colony on Disappearing Island. Chicks were successfully reared from many of these nests and we hope to see another successful shorebird nesting season again in 2023! If you are interested in seeing them for yourself, please stay OUT of all posted areas; bring binoculars and look from afar. Disturbance to nesting birds can cause parents to abandon their eggs, leaving them exposed for too long and vulnerable to predators. Remember, these are small, well camouflaged eggs laid in the sand, so even walking into posted areas could be fatal to baby birds!! In many cases both the mother and the father birds monitor the nest. If an adult bird notices you, take a few steps back because you are too close! If you see an injured bird, report it to Beach Safety personnel (386-239-6414) as soon as possible. County staff are trained to rescue injured birds and make sure they receive proper care.

OTHER NEWS:

 The HCP program has a new Field Manager. Alexa Putillo joined the HCP program in January 2022. Alexa spent several years conducting research on sea turtles and their habitats in Florida in addition to leading various marine science education and outreach programs.  She took a strong lead in training volunteers and transitioning the program from manual data entry to an electronic data collection system this year.

HURRICANE IAN impacted County beaches more than any other storm has in a long time.  Many properties throughout County beaches are severely eroded and damaged.  HCP staff is working to assist with emergency permitting and to ensure things are cleaned up for future successful nesting seasons.  For information about what you can do to secure or clean up your property, please visit www.volusia.org/beachcleanup. 

Outside of sea turtle nesting season, the beach is opened to public driving from sunrise to sunset.

Please remember and be understanding that vehicular access to the beach may be delayed or prohibited when environmental conditions such as high tides warrant.  Also remember that driving and parking are never allowed within the Conservation Zone. The beach will reopen to driving as soon as conditions permit.

Thank for visiting this page for updates, we hope to see you at the beach!