Sea Turtle Nesting on Sanibel Island

A Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, a species rarely found on Florida's beaches, nested on Sanibel on Friday, April 22.

The turtle laid its eggs a full eight days before the official start of sea turtle nesting season, which is May 1, and she did it during the day. Sea turtles usually nest at night. At approximately 11 a.m., a Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) came ashoreand Ray Albright, Jr., saw it and notified Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF). He stayed nearby until SCCF Biologist and Sea Turtle Coordinator Amanda Bryant arrived to stake the nest.

Kemp's Ridleys are the smallest and rarest sea turtle in the world. They weigh approximately 100 pounds and are two to 2 ½ feet long at maturity. They nest from April-July and it is common for them to nest several times during that period. If you come across a sea turtle nesting on the beach, notify SCCF immediately by calling 472-2329 during business hours or 470-3360 on evenings and weekends. The species is found in Southwest Florida waters, but they rarely nest here. 

The last Kemp's Ridley nest recorded on Sanibel was in 1996. The bulk of Kemp's Ridley nesting occurs at Rancho Nuevo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, with additional nesting at Padre Island, Texas. There were only eight Kemp's Ridley nests in Florida in 2010. Most Sanibel sea turtle nests are loggerhead turtles, with an occasional green turtle. Two years ago, a leatherback nested on Sanibel, only the second recorded leatherback nest in Southwest Florida. SCCF monitors sea turtle nesting on Sanibel and Captiva islands Over 100 volunteers help patrol the beach every morning from May through August to stake and monitor nesting and to get a count of hatchlings after the nest has hatched.

Learn more about sea turtles at SCCF's Turtle Tracks, offered Thursday, May 5 at 10 a.m.