Sea Turtle Species on Track to Break Florida Nesting Record

Good news for Florida's nesting sea turtles!

According to Fox News, endangered loggerhead sea turtles are on track to set a new nest record on the Space Coast.

So far this year, Florida Space Coast Office of Tourism has counted a total of 23,000 nests—17,996 loggerhead, 128 leatherback, 5,301 green, and two critically endangered Kemp's Ridley.

In 2021, Brevard County recorded more than 22,554 loggerhead nests in the area. Nesting season is still in full swing, meaning there's plenty of time for them to smash the existing record before it ends in late October.

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In Brevard County's Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge alone—one of the largest loggerhead nesting areas in the world—the loggerheads are already approximately 20% ahead of their numbers last year.

"The Space Coast is known as one of the top nesting areas for loggerheads, and as their nesting season begins to wind down, we've already seen more than 2,000 more nests this year over last in the surveyed areas," Peter Cranis, executive director, Florida Space Coast Office of Tourism, told Fox News.

"Green sea turtles are still nesting, so we're excited to see their numbers continue to grow as well," he added.

Though Florida is home to 90% of sea turtle nesting in the U.S., these peaceful sea creatures rely on beaches all over the South. As the nesting season continues into October, residents and visitors are asked to help protect sea turtles by cleaning up after trips to the beach, filling in holes, knocking down sandcastles, and most importantly, by keeping lights off at night.