Sea Turtles In Daytona Beach, FL

For about 6 months of the year, the beaches of Daytona play host to a plethora of wonderful sea turtle visitors who make their way out of the water each night to lay eggs in the nests that they create in the dry sand of the beach.

Sea turtle nesting is a fascinating process and it's one that people of all ages find intriguing. Nesting season normally begins around May 1 and continues through the end of October. Each evening the turtles emerge, and after laying the eggs and disguising their nests, they return to the sea, confident that their eggs are safe and will soon hatch. And indeed they do! About 2 months after burying the eggs in the sand, experts note that about 100 baby turtles (hatchlings) emerge from each nest and toddle their way to the ocean to join the rest of the sea turtle population.

While the whole process sounds simple, protecting those eggs and the hatchlings becomes an important job – so important that Volusia County has an environmental management team assigned specifically to protect these marine animals. The county has a Sea Turtle Habitat Conservation Plan in place and has for many years. The plan establishes management areas and conservation zones that are deemed off limits to the public during nesting season. Furthermore, vehicular access to the beach at Daytona is restricted in the evenings during hatching season and beachfront lighting is restricted as well so as not to disturb the natural environment of the creatures. (Bright lights may disorient the turtles and cause them to lose their way.) Daytime driving is also restricted until trained monitoring teams who walk the beach each day have deemed it safe for the turtles.

In addition, other volunteers – dubbed “Washback Watchers” – comb the beaches at designated times searching for young turtles that are washed back ashore by tides or storms on their journey into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. These guards see to it that the turtles make their way back to the water once again. Washback season generally starts around August 1.

Various species of sea turtles lay their nests on Daytona Beach and other Volusia County beaches. The most common are leatherbacks, green sea turtles, and loggerheads. In 2008, the last year for which there is data, a total of 649 nests were laid in Volusia County. The majority of those nests belonged to loggerhead turtles. 

Locals are encouraged to adopt-a-beach, especially during this time of the year, in order to keep it clean and keep the sand clear for the turtles that will be nesting there. Residents or visitors can also adopt a sea turtle nest for a small fee. The money allows environmental officials to better care for the nesting turtles and the hatchlings. Patrons can also opt for a hands-on adoption, which involves visiting a particular nest each evening and reporting any problems.

Since 2008, the county has also hosted an annual Turtle Fest, a day full of events which raises money to help support the volunteer turtle patrols. The event, held in April, features live music, food, kids activities, raffles, environmental exhibits, and the release of rehabilitated turtles by the staff at the local Marine Science Center.

Return to Daytona Beach Guide Home Page

Text copyright 2006-2009 DaytonaBeachTourGuide.com and may not be reproduced without consent. This is not the official web page of any of the products or places listed on this site, this is a review page created by an individual.