Loggerhead Sea Turtles

This year's sea turtle nesting season is going great, with a leatherback on Sanibel and early nesting throughout the region. But few turtle lovers forget last season when early signs were record-breaking but the season's results were heart-breaking.

So far this week, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation has documented 554 loggerhead nests and 1 leatherback nest on Sanibel and Captiva Islands -- 422 nests on Sanibel and 133 nests on Captiva.

The female turtle was struck by a car early Wednesday morning. She died from her injuries a short time later.

One of the turtles, Cayman, arrived at the center on Feb. 6, in need of surgery to repair a front left flipper that had become entangled in fishing line. The other, named Finley, had a fishing hook embedded in his shoulder when he arrived on April 27 and went through a round of antibiotics.

The record-setting start to 2023’s nesting season was real, but extreme weather events linked to climate change ending in a sad and bleak reproductive cycle.

Each year, between May and October, threatened and endangered sea turtles create their nests along Pinellas County's beaches.

Despite the large numbers, biologists say turtles face threats from such factors as reduced beaches as sea levels rise, and and more powerful tropical storms.

More than 1,000 loggerhead nests were counted on Sanibel and Captiva islands. Research shows Sanibel is averaging about five times more loggerhead nests compared to the 1970s and ‘80s.

The sea turtle nesting season that started just months after Ian hit ended up setting records for loggerhead turtles on Sanibel and Captiva island.

A pair of sea turtles found dazed and confused by red tide toxins in Sarasota County in February were returned to the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday after being nursed back to health.

Two loggerhead sea turtles, nicknamed “Lilly” and “Farmer,” were released from Lido Beach on Tuesday after recovering from red tide toxins at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.

Should humans rescue animals from the perils of climate change?