You can look, but be sure not to touch! Loggerhead and Green turtles nest and lay their eggs around various travel hot spots in Florida and tourists need to be mindful not to disturb them. These turtles are considered either threatened or endangered in these regions and because of this, they have protection status and are carefully monitored by surrounding wildlife professionals. Their nests are often blocked off by ropes and signs in heavily populated tourist spots so visitors know to stay back.

More than 100,000 threatened and endangered sea turtles nest on Florida beaches every year—that is 90% of the sea turtles nesting in the entire United States. This occurs from March all through October of each year. Resorts often offer sea turtle walks for visitors, allowing them to have a chance at seeing a sea turtle nesting at night. After the nesting stage, it takes about two months for the sea turtle’s eggs to hatch. You have to be at the right place at the right time, but seeing baby sea turtles hatch is a truly amazing spectacle. Upon hatching, the baby sea turtles emerge from the sand and rush into the water as a group.

Since these are endangered creatures, often times hatchlings will be collected from the beach by the local nature center to be released into the deeper waters off the Florida coast to ensure their safety. Recently, the Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to release more than 500 sea turtle hatchlings into the Atlantic Ocean.

While it is difficult to plan ahead to see baby sea turtles hatch, there are certain resorts you can stay at that offer a higher chance of catching a glimpse of the turtles.

• Disney’s Vero Beach Resort will not only put you right next to the action of Disney World, but their beach is a popular nesting area.
• Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa allows guests to witness the nesting and hatching first hand. Register at the front desk upon your arrival to take part in the process during your stay.
• If you’re vacationing at Palm Beach, you can spend a day at MacArthur Beach State Park where they conduct sea turtle watches and other educational programs.
• Staying elsewhere in Florida? You can always visit The Turtle Hospital to get up close to these beautiful sea turtles and see how they are cared for by this wonderful organization.

Call us today at 1-877-815-4227 to plan a visit to see these beautiful sea turtles first hand—it will be an experience you will never forget.