It's turtle nesting season! From May 1st - October 31st each year, sea turtles visit Amelia Island beaches to nest, and it's up to all of us to make their visit as safe as possible! During this turtle nesting season, we are introducing "Turtle Talk Tuesday". Every Tuesday, we will provide you with facts about our local turtle population and what is being done to protect them.
For today's Turtle Talk Tuesday, we wanted to share this video of a sea turtle excavation that took place in 2021. Every day, volunteers from the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch walk the length of the beach looking for signs that a sea turtle has come ashore to nest. The nest is then located and roped off for protection. The volunteers return to the nest daily to check it and make sure it's okay. After the incubation period ends in about 50-60 days, they watch to see that eggs have hatched and within a few days, they return to the next to excavate it. This includes releasing any hatchlings that did not emerge from the next and counting egg shards (both hatched and unhatched).
If you've never been to a sea turtle excavation, you're missing out! Visit the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch webpage to locate an excavation schedule.
Video credit: Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau
-Sabrina Robertson
Public Information Officer