Harbor Island Turtle Program

08/31/2026

We carefully monitored the storm offshore as we went about our work this morning. The safety of our Team is paramount. Mother Nature smiled on us again, which allowed us to complete two inventories with Hatch Successes of 75.2% and 93.3%. We are whittling down the number of nests as the season winds down.

SCDNR Permits MTP550-1/555

08/30/2026

Four beautiful ladies hit the cool, breezy beach this morning to survey the beach and check on all remaining nests. We are so fortunate to have such amazing volunteers! ❤️

SCDNR Permits MTP550-1/555

08/29/2026

"Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined to." — Henry van D**e

These are determined hatchlings! May they be destined to survive to adulthood!

SCDNR Permit MTP555

08/29/2026

Our Saturday Team came braced to face the rain, but the skies held out for us! We completed four inventories with hatch successes of:

85.3%
82.4%,
82.3%
37.3%

We will be able to dive deeper into the data once DNA results are available. It will be interesting to see which turtles nested and if the hatch successes for each nest are similar.

SCDNR Permits MTP550-1/555

08/28/2026

Beach VISIBLE lights are a problem, not just beachFRONT lights. If you have property on or adjacent to beaches that sea turtles nest on, please make certain light switches are labeled for renters and window coverings truly block light. You may want to view your property from the beach at night to be sure your lights aren't visible. Thank you!

We have some heartbreaking news to share. The nest laid by Krysta, the first loggerhead we satellite-tagged and released as part of the 2026 Tour de Turtles, disoriented this week due to lights from nearby properties on Anna Maria Island.

This week Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring, AMITW was notified about 70 live and five dead hatchlings scattered along Gulf Drive South. They successfully rescued the live hatchlings and released them onto a darker stretch of beach. The next morning, they also found a hatchling in a pool and another in a storm drain – these hatchlings are recovering at Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium

Florida’s beaches host 90% of all sea turtle nesting in the U.S. and are densely developed, leading to disorientations like these occurring regularly. When local governments, property owners, and visitors are educated and change their behavior, it is possible to prevent disorientations.

As we enter peak hatching season, remember to turn off lights visible from the beach, close blinds and curtains, leave flashlights at home, and share this knowledge with your friends. Visit our website learn more: https://conserveturtles.org/program/beach-lighting/

08/28/2026

Thinking the rainbow 🌈 is a sign the hatchlings from our inventory will make it to the safety of the Sargasso Sea! Our volunteers today were amazing ⭐, as always! Paige & Kay deserve special recognition as they excavated a smelly 🥴 nest with a hatch success of 83.7%. While on the other end of the beach, Jane & Nancy inventoried a nest with a hatch success of 79%, and were able to release two live hatchlings. They also checked on all other nests still incubating on the beach. We are so very grateful for our hard working, dedicated team members!

SCDNR Permits MTP550-1/555

08/27/2026

"Let the tide reset your soul."

Our gentlemen patrolled north, and the ladies covered the south to determine all is well with our nests. The temperature was pleasant, with a gentle breeze and the biting flies were absent -YAY!

SCDNR Permits MTP550-1/555

08/26/2026

We've done what we can - from protecting the clutch when the Loggerhead nested, monitored the nest for months, and at last, inventory. Good luck, Little Straggler! ❤️

SCDNR Permit MTP555

08/26/2026

"Wednesday: One day closer to payday."

The pay we receive from our conservation work is starting the day on the beach with friends, and knowing we are making a difference! Today, we saw a Baker's Dozen of hatchlings (between two inventories) start their perilous journey.

We closed out three nests with hatch successes of 75.6%, 87.8%, and 95%. Pretty good stats thus far!

SCDNR Permit MTP555