CUMBERLAND ISLAND, Ga. — Cumberland Island National Seashore announced it’s set a new record for sea turtle nests this season.
As of Tuesday, 1,256 nests were documented on the island, surpassing the previous record of 1,255 set in 2022.
The record comes during a landmark year for sea turtles in Georgia, which also recently reached a statewide record for nests.
Several milestones marked this year’s nesting season on Cumberland Island. The island tied with St. Catherines Island for Georgia’s first sea turtle nest of the season on May 5.
The National Park Service noted Cumberland also recorded the state’s highest single-day nesting total with 40 nests and the first sea turtle nest to hatch in Georgia this year on July 7.
Three confirmed sea turtle species nested on the island’s beaches this season: 1,207 Loggerhead nests, five Green turtle nests and three rare Kemp’s Ridley nests.
According to Cumberland Island National Seashore, its 18-mile stretch of beach often accounts for about 25% of Georgia’s total sea turtle nesting activity.
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