Sea turtle nesting season begins May 1 along Destin-Fort Walton Beach, with local patrol teams preparing to monitor the beaches daily through October 31.
- Jessica Valek, Natural Resources Manager for Destin-Fort Walton Beach and permit holder for the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol team, said sea turtles typically come ashore in the middle of the night to lay their eggs.
“They typically do this in the middle of the night to help protect them from predators. It’s a little bit quieter, a little bit safer,” Valek said.
The patrol team will be on the beaches every morning looking for new nests, marking them and monitoring them until they hatch.
Valek outlined several ways locals and visitors can help protect nesting sea turtles. These include filling in holes, flattening sandcastles and removing all belongings from the beach at the end of the day.
- “We really want to leave no trace,” she said.
Keeping beaches dark is also critical for sea turtle protection. Valek advises shutting off external lights for beachfront properties and avoiding white flashlights on the beach at night.
“If you do have to use a light on the beach at night, we ask that you use a red sea turtle friendly flashlight,” Valek said.
Red sea turtle friendly flashlights are available at any Destin-Fort Walton Beach Welcome and Adventure Centers.
Valek encourages anyone who spots a nesting sea turtle, sea turtle nest or hatchlings to call the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle hotline at 850-461-2885.
