There are 5 species of sea turtles found along Florida’s Beaches.
Loggerhead Turtle is the most common turtle on our beaches. She is named for her immense, block-like head and strong jaws
Leatherback Turtle is the largest turtle. She has a leathery shell, can reach up to 7 feet in length and weigh up to 1,500 pounds.
Green Turtle gets her name from the color of her fat. She is an herbivore, eating plants, sea grasses,
and algae.
and algae.
Hawksbill Turtle has a beautiful, distinct carapace (shell). It is tortoiseshell in color and almost heart-shaped.
Kemp’s Ridley turtle is the most endangered sea turtle in the world. She is relatively small, weighing less than 100 pounds.
The Turtles of our area are protected and monitored by Flagler/Volusia Turtle Patrol is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of sea turtles in two counties (Volusia and Flagler) on the east coast of Florida. They patrol 18 miles in Flagler County during nesting season which runs from May 1st to October 31st.
The Turtle patrol monitors the beaches for Turtle crawl marks.
Turtle crawls are unique patterns left in the sand by turtles when they come out of the ocean and onto the beach (see image to the right). When we find a fresh crawl, we determine whether a nest has been laid or if it is a false crawl (non-nesting emergence). If a nest was laid, we use four stakes with colored survey ribbon to cordon off the area. A unique identification number, the date the crawl was found, and the initials of the volunteers who found the nest are written on one of the stakes.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) sign is posted warning folks that it is illegal to disturb the nest is attached to another.
The patrol also completes a nesting report and plot the crawl on an aerial photo. After the nest hatches, we do a nest evaluation to determine and record its success.
To experience this beautiful natural occurrence as a tourist or a local resident is a memorable event.
All activity can be followed on their Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/Flagler-Turtle-Patrol-364551493051/about
