To pair with this special edition of Earth to Florida celebrating World Sea Turtle Month, we are bringing you the latest news relating to sea turtles in Florida. Read on below to see what we found for the month of June:

  • The critically endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle has returned to the coast of Volusia County to nest, marking the fourth Kemp’s Ridley nest in the county this nesting season. This individual was first spotted in 2005 and has returned to nest in Volusia County eight times since then. The Kemp’s Ridley primarily breeds in Mexico, making these nests even more rare for the state of Florida.
  • A five-foot long, 900-pound leatherback sea turtle has been tracked off the coast of Florida near Volusia County’s Bethune Beach. On June 18th, the leatherback’s tracker transmitted its location to OCEARCH, a non-profit research group best known for tracking great white sharks. Lovingly nicknamed Windy, the leatherback was first spotted on Juno Beach in 2003. Since then, it has returned to nest there nine times in a two-to-three-year cycle.
  • A bill banning the intentional release of balloons, which received bipartisan support in the legislature, has now been signed into law. The ban is especially important for sea turtles, who often confuse popped and deflated balloons with one of their favorite foods: jellyfish. Estimated to be one of the most deadly types of plastic litter to all kinds of marine wildlife, the balloon release ban may benefit many species.
  • As you prepare for Independence Day, keep sea turtles in mind. Fireworks are a source of artificial light that can disorient and injure sea turtles and their hatchlings. Campfires, bonfires, and any other light sources on the beach from sunset to sunrise are prohibited in many counties during nesting season.
  • Recent research offers new insights on how the Deepwater Horizon spill of 2010 impacted endangered sea turtle species. The spill took the lives of up to 86,500 juvenile Kemp’s Ridley turtles, a critically endangered species. 319 live turtles were successfully recovered from the area and rehabilitated. While the turtles were eventually released, their blood samples were kept and frozen for future research. The 2024 study on these samples reveals how turtles’ thyroid systems were impacted by the oil and suggests better future treatments for sea turtles recovered from oil spills.
  • A 40 year study on sea turtle nesting activity across five beaches in Sarasota has revealed some key findings. In good news, loggerhead and green sea turtle nesting counts have steadily increased since the monitoring began in 1982. It seems that nesting timing has shifted earlier in the year, which might suggest a changing nesting season. Research also showed that hatchling success varied between beaches. With much still unknown about sea turtle nesting, further research is needed to enhance our understanding of the species.