By: Bonnie Gross, April 26, 2023
I live in urban Fort Lauderdale and am always amazed and thrilled that some 3,000 huge Florida sea turtles still lumber onto Broward County beaches at night to lay eggs.
It seems so primordial for a place better known for Spring Break.
And yet, every summer our beach is decorated with neon-colored tape and signs to show where these ancient creatures have buried their eggs.
Florida beaches are the No. 1 place for sea turtle nests in North America from May to October.
Up and down the Atlantic coast (where sea turtle nests are most common), parks and environmental groups organize night-time sea-turtle walks in June and July to observe the natural wonder.
Getting a chance to see a sea turtle in action takes some doing, but it’s a memorable experience. Visitors are led to a spot on the beach where a sea turtle is digging a hole a foot or two deep with her flippers. The turtle then starts filling the nest with soft-shelled eggs the size of ping-pong balls. After laying, she re-fills the nest with sand and heads back into the ocean. The whole process takes 30 to 60 minutes.
The most common variety of sea turtle here is the loggerhead, with leatherbacks and green turtles being much rarer. Loggerheads average 200 to 250 pounds. Greens can way up to 500 pounds. Leatherbacks can get up to 1500 pounds. Wildlife-protection regulations limit turtle walks to observing only loggerheads.
