Sea Turtle Monitoring

NPS/Photo Griffiths MTP 23-005

2024 Sea Turtle Nest Counts

• Loggerhead (Caretta caretta):
Apollo ( 2300 ) ......... Playalinda ( 2980 )

• Green (Chelonia mydas):
Apollo ( 461 ) .......... Playalinda ( 530 )

• Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)
Apollo ( 11 ) .......... Playalinda ( 19 )

• Kemps Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)
Apollo ( 0 ) .......... Playalinda ( 2 )

Total Sea Turtle Nest Count: 06303

 

This green sea turtle is digging her nest.

NPS/Photo Welch MTP 19-005

Five of the Canaveral's federally listed endangered or threatened species are marine turtles.

1. Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Threatened
2. Green (Chelonia mydas) Threatened
3. Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) Endangered
4. Kemp’s Ridley (Lepiochelys kempii) Endangered
5. Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) Endangered

The Loggerhead and Green turtles are most prevalent, while the Leatherback is found consistently, but in much lower numbers. Kemp’s Ridley and Hawsbill Turtles have been documented, though rarely, on Canaveral National Seashore's beaches.

Canaveral National Seashore has been recording sea turtle nesting on park beaches since 1985. Sea turtles are observed nesting in the park from April through October. The nesting season for the Leatherback is generally between April and June, the earliest and shortest nesting season. Loggerheads are primarily observed nesting in the park from May through August, while Greens are recorded slightly later, from June through September. As in the past three years, Green sea turtle nesting extended into October in 2013. The peak of the nesting season generally occurs between late June and early July when over 100 nests may be deposited on Canaveral National Seashore’s beaches each night.

 

Sea Turtle Nest Totals 1984 - 2022

Year	Loggerhead	Green	Leatherback	Kemp's	Unknown	Total
2022	6,188	6,331	27	1	0	12,547
2021	3,708	4,303	31	2	0	8,044
2020	4,187	367	26	5	0	7,888
2019	5,646	7,629	33	0	0	13,308
2018	4,223	301	15	0	0	4,539
2017	4,556	7,736	23	0	0	12,315
2016	5,057	381	9	0	0	5,437
2015	3,905	3,571	34	0	0	7,510
2014	3,322	420	20	0	0	3,767
2013	3,758	4,152	23	0	0	5,140
2012	5,154	816	27	1	0	5,998
2011	3,742	1,374	24	0	0	5,140
2010	4,250	1,343	26	0	0	5,619
2009	2,729	301	26	0	0	3,056
2008	3,637	899	5	2	0	4,543
2007	2,356	1,249	21	0	0	3,627
2006	2,470	396	1	1	0	2,868
2005	2,547	1,040	13	0	0	3,600
2004	2,281	255	6	0	0	2,542
2003	3,229	74	16	1	0	3,320
2002	3,161	856	8	0	0	4,025
2001	3,257	7	10	0	0	3,274
2000	3,892	662	9	0	0	4,563
1999	4,501	5	9	0	0	4,515
1998	3,976	427	5	0	0	4,408
1997	2,702	21	4	0	0	2,727
1996	3,260	222	3	0	0	3,485
1995	4,121	47	1	0	0	4,169
1994	3,886	364	2	0	0	4,252
1993	3,140	28	0	0	0	3,168
1992	3,279	298	0	0	0	3,577
1991	4,074	25	1	0	0	4,100
1990	3,922	185	1	0	0	4,108
1989	3,091	41	1	0	0	3,133
1988	2,203	43	0	0	4	2,250
1987	1,670	90	1	0	15	1,776
1986	3,349	22	3	0	0	3,374
1985	2,389	94	0	0	25	2,508
1984	*	*	*	*	*	2,125

* Individual breakdown not available

Taken from yearly Sea Turtle Nesting Summaries, 1984-2022 Canaveral National Seashore, Titusville, Florida

The State of Florida manages sea turtle nests throughout the state by collecting annual data on participating beaches. Canaveral National Seashore participates in both an Index Nesting Beach Survey (INBS) and the Statewide Nesting Beach Survey (SNBS). For more information on these programs visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

 

The requested video is no longer available.