The city of Jacksonville Beach is prepared for Sea Turtle Nesting Season

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, fla — Next week marks the start of sea turtle nesting season. And local organizations want to help spread the word about protecting the lovable creatures.

Sea turtle nesting season spans May to October. And amber lights are part of the city’s efforts in helping protect these marine animals. Experts say amber lights help avoid confusing the turtles when they nest and when they hatch.

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“It’s real important when the clutch emerges because the hatchings are going to go to natural light,” Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol Kevin Brown said. “The darker it is, they will head to that horizon.”

Clutch refers to the number of eggs in a nest. Brown and 40 other volunteers monitor the beaches from Hanna Park down to the St. Johns County line.

“As long as these turtles are coming back to our area, and they are nesting, that tells us that our ecosystem is healthy,” Brown said.

Since sea turtles are a protected species, Brown says it’s important to help save them.

“Have fun, enjoy the beach,” Brown said. “But when you leave the beaches, let’s leave it like we found it – clean, dark and flat.”

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In 2020, the city passed an ordinance to help keep the beaches dark, wanting to “control beachfront lighting to protect sea turtle hatchlings from adverse effects of artificial lighting…”

“We’ve been good down here,” Brown said. “Our beaches are great; our city governments are great.”

Brown adds saying holes are the real danger for sea turtles.

“The holes are a nightmare out there, not even comparable to lights,” Brown said.

So, he says, it’s fine if you create a hole, just make sure when you’re finished, you fill them in.

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Loggerheads, Greens, and Leatherbacks are the three local sea turtle species. Last year, there were nearly 100 nests on the Jacksonville beaches.

“I love sea turtles; I think they’re awesome,” ,” tourist from Atlanta Callie Baker said. “We got to make sure we see them and protect the beaches.

Her friend Caroline Mills added, “Yea, protect the beach!”

Some beachgoers I spoke with say they want to help protect the turtles any way they can.

“I try to refrain from using a lot of plastics that could go out to the ocean,” Jacksonville resident Iesha Lovett said.

Starting this Monday, volunteers with the Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol will begin a foot patrol along the shores around sunrise.

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