ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring is reporting a record number of sea turtle nests this year, beating 2019’s record of 543 by one nest.
The crop of hatchlings so far this season also is in line for a record, with 418 nests hatching and over 30,000 hatchlings making it out of their nests.
“With numbers like these, 2025 will be the third most successful nesting season since we began patrols in 1983,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in a Sept. 26 email. “The only seasons that had more hatchlings were 2018 (35,788 hatchlings, with 447 hatched nests) and 2022 (33,784 hatchlings, with 464 hatched nests). This is great news for future generations of sea turtles.”
With turtle nesting season officially ending on Oct. 31, there are just 22 nests left on the beaches.
“It’s getting quiet out there, but we are still seeing hatches, so we remind people to keep the beach clean, dark and flat to make sure that the hatchlings can make it safely to the water when they hatch “ she wrote.
“We also remind folks that we share the beach with shorebirds,” Mazzarella wrote. “Some birds are resting and feeding their young, while others are stopping on AMI to rest and feed during long migratory journeys.”
To help protect the birds, please follow these suggestions:
1. Give them space by walking around the flock.
2. Allow the birds to rest and feed quietly without running through the flock.
3. Birds eat fish, insects and crustaceans; do not feed them bread.
4. Enjoy them from a distance.
