ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Data released last week by St. Johns County beaches paint a promising portrait for sea turtles. As of Friday, July 22, 1,021 sea turtle nests have been found along the beaches, including Anastasia Island, Matanzas Inlet South, and northern St. Johns County beaches.
Jeannette Kemp lives in Maryland but visits her sister in St. Johns County every few months.
The news is music to her ears.
“To watch them all walk out into the water is so cool. And to know that they came back,” Kemp said. “And, of course, they came back as adults and the females lay the eggs.”
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Of the 1,021 discovered nests so far in 2022, 755 were found in the northern St. Johns County beaches. Of those 755, 715 were Loggerheads, 28 were Greens, and 11 were Leatherbacks.
Also found was one nest for the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle. Small in size, it’s the most endangered of all sea turtles.
The county says the highest number of sea turtle nests on St. Johns County beaches occurred in 2019, with a final count of 1,145. This season’s numbers are expected to surpass that count.
To comply with regulations that protect the turtles, the county says beach driving and lighting rules are in effect through Oct. 31. Vehicular traffic on the beach is only allowed from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and all beachfront properties are required to reduce the impact of interior and exterior lighting which may impact nesting sea turtles.
The county says these numbers are the result of good work being done. For beachgoers like Joann Brashear, these creatures are another reason to love the area.
“I bring my grandson, he’s from North Carolina, and we were hoping we could see them,” Brashear said. “We’re going to come down one evening so we can maybe catch them actually going out.”
According to the county, sea turtle populations are difficult to count because juveniles and adult males do not come ashore. Only female sea turtles leave the sea to nest. The numbers of females in the population are difficult to count because mothers lay multiple nests each season.
If you ever see any marine animals in distress, you’re asked to report it to the Sheriff’s Dispatch at 904-824-8304.
For further information visit www.sjcfl.us/HCP/index.aspx or Habitat Conservation Plan (sjcfl.us)