When is leatherback turtle nesting season

City of Marathon Florida. Search form. Search Website. Sea Turtle Nesting Season. Sea turtle nesting season lasts from April 15 to October Skip to main content. Report Issues Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. Go Outdoors Florida! Photo Credit: Cheryl L. Sanchez With the exception of a few nests on the west coast, leatherbacks nest almost exclusively on the east coast of Florida.

Only 85 percent of these eggs are viable, as some have no yolk to develop into an embryo. A leatherback can lay 7 to 11 individual nests per season, laying a new nest every 10 days. Between nesting seasons, females will spend years feeding to build up enough energy to nest again.

Older females typically lay more nests with more eggs than turtles that have recently reached maturity. The sex of turtle eggs is determined by the temperature of the nest. During the middle third of incubation days the temperature within the nest determines the ratio of males to females; warmer temperatures mean more females while cooler temperatures yield more males.

After an incubation period of 60 days the eggs will begin to hatch. The hatchling turtles must emerge from the nest and make their way to the ocean. Ten percent of hatchlings will be eaten by seabirds, crabs, reptiles and mammals on the beach.

Only 25 percent of hatchlings will make it through their first few days in the ocean. In order to prevent nesting and hatchling turtles from wandering off track, your beachfront property should use sea turtle friendly lighting.

You can also help by closing drapes and blinds, and shield or turn off outdoor lights that are visible on the beach. Sea turtle hatchlings can become easily disoriented by bright lights on the coast from hotels and beachfront properties.

By following these steps, you can encourage females to nest and lead hatchlings in the right direction, the ocean! Tracks from disoriented hatchlings. Their tracks should lead straight to the sea.

Knock down sandcastles and fill in holes! Additionally, filling in all holes made in the sand can avoid the entrapment of hatchlings while on their way to the water. Even the nesting mothers can become stuck in these holes when crawling up the beach to nest.