2023 recap - Another record-breaking season!  

2023 was an unusual season in many ways. Our survey groups (and the turtles) had to navigate drastically different beaches and ongoing storm recovery projects. Despite new and ongoing challenges, Volusia County’s beaches saw a record breaking 1,516 sea turtle nests. But that was not the only record broken – green sea turtles laid a total of 259 nests which shattered the former record of 98! This uptick in green sea turtle nests was observed throughout the state; an exciting occurrence for sea turtle biologists working to protect this endangered species and giving everyone all the more reason to conserve their vital nesting habitat here in Florida.

Out of Volusia’s 1,516 nests, 1,249 were loggerhead

1249 Loggerhead, 259 Green, 4 Leatherback, and 4 Kemp’s ridley nests

Nearly 75,000 hatched eggs were counted

2023 also brought changes to our program in the form of new staff!

Jaymie Reneker started as the HCP Program Manager in January of 2023. She had been with the HCP program since 2019 but served as the Field Biologist with Ecological Associates, Inc. In this position, Jaymie served as the designated point person for the sea turtle nesting surveys conducted in New Smyrna Beach through the 2022 nesting season. She also played an integral role in the HCP program when not on the beach - assisting with data entry & verification and partaking in the required shorebird surveys. Jaymie is originally from the land locked state of Iowa but started her career with sea turtles and shorebirds in 2012 by moving to North Carolina. She also spent a few years working for NOAA in Mississippi before eventually finding herself in Volusia County. She has seen the loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley and leatherback nesting on Volusia County’s beaches and hopes that she can finally see a green turtle nesting in 2024!

Nicole Weiss took on the role of HCP Field Manager in October of 2023. She began her career with Volusia County as nesting season intern with the HCP program in 2017, was the HCP Seasonal Assistant in 2018 and 2019, and the Sea Turtle Lighting Specialist from 2020 - 2023. Nicole came to the program with several years of experience in sea turtle rehabilitation, animal husbandry, and environmental education. As a native Floridian who grew up going to Volusia County’s beaches, she is excited to continue working to conserve the beaches and creatures that sparked her interest in marine biology as a kid. Nicole’s favorite moment of the season (so far) has been witnessing a Kemp’s ridley (her favorite sea turtle species) nest in Ponce Inlet!

Abbey Chaney joined the HCP program in March 2023 as the Field Biologist with Ecological Associates, Inc.  Abbey works with the New Smyrna Beach Turtle Trackers to oversee sea turtle nesting surveys along with sea turtle stranding response in New Smyrna Beach.  She also helps the HCP program with shorebird surveys and data management.  Before joining the team in Volusia County, Abbey worked with sea turtles in South Carolina, Georgia, and South Florida.  Her favorite sea turtle is the green sea turtle and hopes we continue to have seasons with high green nesting numbers!

2024 Updates - Nests and false crawls and hatchlings...OH MY!

Our dedicated volunteers have been out every morning at sunrise since May 1^st to monitor our beaches for nesting activity. While we are not seeing the same record-breaking numbers as the last few years, nesting has been steady and is beginning to increase. As of July 18^th, there have been a total of 767 sea turtle nests on Volusia County beaches, including 757 Loggerhead, 6 Green, 7 Leatherback, and 4 Kemp’s ridley nests.

We are seeing nests hatching daily now, along with new nests being laid! To ensure hatchlings make it to the ocean safely, we encourage everyone to keep the beach CLEAN, DARK, and FLAT! Here are some tips on how YOU can help!

• Leave only footprints. Pick up all trash, take all of your belongings, fill in holes, and knock down sandcastles at the end of your beach day.
• Let the night provide the light! Sea turtles use natural cues such as celestial light to help guide them to the ocean, and any artificial light sources can cause them to go the wrong way. No light is best, but if you have to use a flashlight on your nighttime beach walk, use a red light and only turn it on when needed. Avoid using spotlights, cell phone flashlights, and other bright white lights, including flash photography. NEVER shine any light, no matter the color, directly at sea turtles or other wildlife. Closing blinds and curtains on beach-facing windows and sliding glass doors is also important. Finally, make sure your property is in compliance with the Volusia County Sea Turtle Lighting Ordinance.
• Never approach, touch, or pick up nesting female or hatchling sea turtles. If you see a turtle nesting or emerging hatchlings, please give them space and do not interfere. It is extremely important for female sea turtles and hatchlings to make their way to the ocean on their own. If you are worried a turtle may be sick, injured, or in danger, please call FWC at 1-888-404-FWCC.
• Stay clear of marked nests and unmarked sea turtle crawls. The sea turtle groups will begin their surveys for new activity at sunrise, at which time they document and mark new nests, abandoned nesting attempts (false crawls), and any nests that hatched overnight. Please do not attempt to mark off any crawls or nests on your own. You may mean well, but tampering with sea turtle nests is unlawful and could cause more harm than good. Our volunteers are trained and permitted to conduct these surveys – please let them do their work.

Washback season starts August 1st 

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.

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