It's the heart of Florida's nesting season for sea turtles, and that means you may start seeing them when you're out and about as they make their way to our sandy beaches. The season generally runs from May to October, and it just so happens that we have multiple turtles tracked on our coastlines right now - check out the four sea turtles that are currently visiting Florida's Sunshine coast below according to Ocearch.
Kate
Kate is the smallest sweetie of the lady bunch on their Florida nesting vacations at only 3ft 8in and was first tagged on Sanibel Island. This adult female green sea turtle was last pinged on July 8th at 11:36 am just south of the beautiful Shell Key Preserve and Fort Desoto.
Melanie
This green sea turtle is a little larger than her sea turtle sister Kate at 4ft 1in. Melanie was also first given her tracker on Sanibel Island and is currently swimming about in the shallow sandy coasts of Manasota Key Beach. Kate was last pinged on July 8th at 11:28 am.
Andrea
Andrea has been sticking close to where she received her tracker on Sanibel Island, swimming around in the coastal waters and going back up to shore. The adult green turtle is the same size as Kate at 3ft. 8in and was last pinged on July 8th at 11:30am.
Emily
4ft. 1in green sea turtle Emily is probably having the best nesting vacation, currently hanging out at the southwestern-most tip of Key West. Her location was last pinged on July 8th at 12:05pm.
In order for sea turtles to nest, they have to find locations a bit further out from any major city, often nesting in remote locations on the beach; If you happen to be out exploring one these locations and see turtles waddling up the beach line, give them space to lay their eggs and admire from a distance. We want to enjoy the beauty of these gorgeous marine animals without disrupting our natural ecosystems.
You can track the path of these gentle beauties on Ocearch's website here.
We strongly advise that before you go swimming or visit a potentially hazardous location, you check for the most recent updates on potential hazards, security, water quality, and closures. If you do plan to visit a location, always respect the environment.