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Naval Station Mayport sea turtle program reporting record number of nests

Sea turtle nesting season is in full swing.
Local beaches are reporting an uptick in sea turtle nests so far.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — TRENDING: 

The sea turtle patrol at Naval Station Mayport said they average about 10 nests per year on a one-mile stretch of beach.
They have 19 documented nests already.
“It’s always great to see a new nest. We had two nests in a day, which I’ve never had before. It’s amazing. I can’t wait for them to start hatching,” said Heather Hahn, the natural resources program manager at NS Mayport. 

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Every day during the nesting season, the sea turtle patrol combs the beach looking for nests.
It’s shaping up to be a successful start to the sea turtle nesting season with more nests documented along the coast.
On Amelia Island, there are at least 138 nests, which is compared to 135.
Between Atlantic, Neptune and Jacksonville Beaches, 45 nests are documented. During the 2018 season, there were 44 nests.
Right now, there are 67 nests on Mickler’s Landing, which had 50 nests total last season.
Hahn expects the nests on the base to begin hatching in July.