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The Space Coast could also be called the “Turtle Coast” as our beaches attract the second largest population of nesting Loggerhead sea turtles in the world. Green and Leatherback sea turtles also nest here. The area is so important to sea turtle nesting that the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge was created by Congress to preserve this turtle nesting habitat. Named for Dr. Archie Carr, a world renowned scientist who inspired efforts to save sea turtles, the refuge was established to ensure that these turtles will continue to have a place to lay their eggs.
The nesting process is a natural wonder to behold. In the act, repeated over millions of years, female turtles return to the same beach where they were born, crawl up the beach past the high tide line, dig a hole and lay about 100 eggs. After covering the nest with sand, they move back to the sea. The entire process takes one to two hours. The mother never sees her babies hatch. Her eggs are warmed in the sand nest by the sun and approximately two months later they hatch. The little sea turtles dig their way out of the nests and begin their short perilous trip to the sea. Sunrise is a good time to walk the beach in summer to look for little sea turtles as they race to the ocean. If you are fortunate enough to see a nesting sea turtle, there are some very important things to keep in mind.
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Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge and Sebastian Inlet State Park
Canaveral National Seashore
Sea Turtle Preservation Society |
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