WRITTEN BY Bek Mitchell-Kidd
We Have a Crush
on Sea Turtles
F
Florida is home to five species of sea turtles, including hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley,
loggerhead, leatherback and green. All five species are listed as either threatened
or endangered.
Along the Florida coast, sea turtles annually make between 40,000 and 80,000 nests.
Females nest every two to three years, laying eggs in several nests on sandy beaches.
After digging a hole and depositing approximately 80 to 120 eggs, the females fill in
the hole with sand and camouflage the nest before returning to the sea.
Sea turtle eggs incubate for a period of about two months. It is a myth that hatchlings
need a full moon to find the ocean—they successfully emerge from their nests during
76
PEACHYTHEMAGAZINE.COM