Did you know that only about 1 in 1,000 sea turtle eggs hatch into a mature adult? Many eggs are laid, but a significant portion is lost to predators, environmental conditions, or human activities.
Sea Turtle Nesting Season – Facts + Coloring + Imagination Activity
Fun Facts & Imagination Activity: What if YOU were a sea turtle!
Completely stand-alone handout, just grab and go!
You can help by taking part in some basic turtle nesting season etiquette, getting involved in a volunteer or Citizen Science project.
More details and a free downloadable edu handout for kids below!
Heading to the Beach?
Protecting sea turtle nests is crucial for the survival of these endangered species. Here are some effective strategies to help safeguard them:
Monitoring Nesting Sites
Regularly check known nesting areas during nesting season, often from late spring to early summer, to identify and protect nests. Report any findings to your local turtle watch group.
Marking Nests
Clearly mark nesting sites with flags or signage to alert people to their presence and discourage disturbances, like curious dogs or sandcastle builders.
Use fencing or natural barriers to shield nests from predators and human interference, but ensure they do not obstruct the turtles’ natural path back to the water!
Reduce Light Pollution
Encourage the use of turtle-friendly lighting along beaches to prevent hatchlings from being disoriented and washed away from the ocean after hatching. That means no big overhead lights they could mistake for the moon!
Prevent Pollution
Reduce plastic waste and pollutants on beaches, which can harm nesting turtles and hatchlings. Participate in beach cleanups and advocate for sustainable practices. Beach cleanups are easy to organize and can be done alone or in groups. It also inspires people standing around to do a better job of cleaning up after themselves.
Links To Help
Citizen Science and local volunteering opportunities are great ways to get involved! Here are some cool links to explore:
Online Crowdsourcing & Citizen Science Platforms
Platforms like iNaturalist enable participants to photograph and upload sightings, thereby contributing to a collective database that supports researchers studying turtle populations.
SEA TURTLE SPOTTER/ OBSERVADOR TORTUGA
Welcome to our Citizen Science Monitoring of Sea Turtle project. By reporting your sea turtle sightings, you can help scientists better understand changes in populations, movements, foraging locations, and habitat conditions. This invaluable information will help us determine how we can help save our sea turtles from extinction.
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/sea-turtle-spotter
Turtle Watch
Organizations like the Turtle Watch in Hawaii invite volunteers to help survey and document sightings, helping to gather valuable data on populations and behaviors.
Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle Honu Watch | Hawaii Wildlife Fund
From May to October, it’s honu’ea & honu nesting season on Maui!
You can volunteer for Dawn Patrol & Nest Protection by filling out the form on the Volunteers page.
Turtle Nesting Surveys
Programs such as those run by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission engage volunteers to record nesting activities, helping researchers understand nesting patterns and success rates.
Help nesting sea turtles by respecting their nests | FWC
Getting too close (50 feet or less) to nesting sea turtles can cause them to leave the beach before they complete nesting. All species of sea turtles and their nests are protected and should not be disturbed — it is illegal to harm, harass or take nesting sea turtles, their eggs or hatchlings. If you see someone disturbing a sea turtle nest, or see an injured, dead or harassed sea turtle, report it to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). Cell phone users can also call *FWC or #FWC or send a text to Tip@MyFWC.com.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle Research
Organizations like the Loggerhead Marine Life Center in Florida often involve volunteers in research activities, streamlining community engagement and data collection on sea turtle rehabilitation and behavior.
Conservation – Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Volunteer – Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Volunteer with Rehabilitation Centers
Many wildlife rehabilitation centers welcome volunteers to assist in the care and rehabilitation of injured ocean turtles, providing hands-on experience while contributing to their recovery.
Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center | The Florida Aquarium
Join our team and help The Florida Aquarium protect marine wildlife and the places they call home by becoming a volunteer! We are seeking individuals who are passionate about marine life, the natural environment and eager to assist the Aquarium with its shared purpose of saving marine wildlife. We match your skills, talents and interests with available opportunities in our different programs to make it a truly rewarding experience for all!
Volunteer Opportunities | The Florida Aquarium
Free Download During Nesting Season!
Fun Facts & Imagination Activity: What if YOU were a sea turtle?
Completely stand-alone handout, just grab and go!
Great handout for busy work, fast finishers, eco-camps, beach trips, and more!
Fun Facts & Imagination Activity: What if YOU were a sea turtle?
Completely stand-alone handout, just grab and go!
Great handout for busy work, fast finishers, eco-camps, beach trips, and more!
More Sea Turtle Resources
What’s The Difference Between A… Turtle & Tortoise? – Facts + Games
Differences & cool facts
What to do with a stranded turtle, tortoise, or sea turtle
Mazes
Word Search
Coloring
2 pages, black and white
Covers: The seven species of sea turtles: Leatherback, loggerhead, green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, and flatback.
Name + Scientific Name + Weight + Size + Protection Status
Fun Facts – including Migration, Environmental Challenges, Diet.
Vocab: Carnivore + Illustration for comparison and coloring
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