The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) reported on May 3 that a total of 20 loggerhead sea turtle nests have been recorded on the islands since April 22. The first nest was discovered by SCCF volunteers on Captiva, marking the beginning of the nesting season.
Unfortunately, due to recent extreme high tides and winds, some of the newly formed nests were washed over. However, the SCCF staff clarified that this doesn’t necessarily mean a complete loss. There is still a possibility that some of these nests may produce viable eggs, and the team will continue to monitor them closely in the coming weeks.
Carley Nolan, a sea turtle technician, stated, “While wash overs can result in the inundation of egg chambers, it is possible for some of these nests to still have viable eggs, and we will continue to monitor them over the next several weeks. Although the start of the nesting season has been unpredictable, we are excited to see what the rest of the season holds.”
It is worth noting that April 22 marks the third-earliest recorded loggerhead nest laid on Sanibel or Captiva. The earliest documented nest was on April 15 in 2020, followed by April 16 in 2018.
