When do sea turtles nest on Amelia Island?

Loggerheads are the species that nests here in numbers, and the season is a legal framework as well as a natural one: from 1 May to 31 October the beach carries rules that are enforced, not suggested.

What the season asks of you

• Fill in every hole you dig. A hatchling that falls into a hole does not get out, and neither does a nesting female. This is the single most common problem.
• Take everything off the beach overnight. Chairs, umbrellas, tents and toys left out become obstacles between a nest and the water.
• Flatten sandcastles before you leave.
• Keep lights off the sand after dark. Hatchlings orient by the brightest horizon; a phone torch or a beachfront porch light sends them inland. Where a light must be on, it should be shielded and long-wavelength.
• Stay well clear of marked nests. Staked and taped nests are surveyed daily.
• Do not use a flash if you are lucky enough to see a turtle.

The rhythm of the season

May is when the first crawls appear — the tractor-tyre track a female leaves coming up the sand. June and July are the nesting peak. July onwards is when the earliest nests hatch, and August and September dawn walks are when you are most likely to see a fresh track or an emergence. By the end of October it is over.

Watching, responsibly

Nesting and hatching both happen at night, and organised watches are run by permitted groups only — never approach a nest or a turtle on your own. An early morning walk at low tide is the realistic way to see the evidence: tracks, and the marked nests above the high-water line.