Natural Environment
Tale of the Turtle
Our beaches are home to hundreds of Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) turtles who come ashore at night to lay their eggs.
The Loggerhead mating season is from late March to early June. In the Southeastern United States, adult females begin to nest as early as late April and they continue right up to early September. Nesting activity is at its peak in June and July. Average clutch size varies from 100 to 126 eggs.
During this laying and hatching period, residents of our county turn down their outside lighting so as not to confuse the new hatchlings as they scamper to the safety of the Gulf of Mexico - following the reflective glow of the moonlight on the water.
Turtle Facts:
- Named for its large head
- Powerful jaws crush mollusks, crabs and encrusting animals
- An estimated 14,000 females nest in the Southeastern U.S. each year
- A large turtle: adult weigh 200 to 350 pounds and measure about 3 feet in length
- Hatchlings: 2 inches long
- Nest in Florida from late April to September
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