06/17/2026
Sea Turtle good news:
🐢 2026 Sea Turtle Nesting Season Update 🐢
It's World Sea Turtle Day and the 2026 nesting season continues with a very strong start across Florida this summer! 💪
Leatherbacks are currently on track for another record year, and loggerheads are also tracking above recent years, although it is still too early to know whether this will become a record-breaking season. Green turtles are also off to a stronger start than expected following the very high nesting numbers documented in 2025.
We also have an exciting first for Florida: one olive ridley nest was documented in May and confirmed by genetics, representing the first ever documented olive ridley nesting event in the state!
Here are preliminary statewide totals as of May 31st:
🟠38,874 loggerhead nests (compared to 24,130 in 2025, 27,135 in 2024, 36,514 in 2023, and 13,036 in 2022)
🟣271 green turtle nests (compared to 110 in 2025, 57 in 2024, 2,291 in 2023, and 67 in 2022)
🔵 1,806 leatherback nests (compared to 1,683 in 2025, 1,445 in 2024, 1,220 in 2023, and 1,245 in 2022)
🟢 10 confirmed Kemp’s ridley nests (compared to 5 in 2025, 8 in 2024, 5 in 2023, and 7 in 2022)
⚪0 hawksbill nests (compared to 0 in 2025, 0 in 2024, 0 in 2023, and 2 in 2022)
🔴 1 olive ridley nest, the first ever documented in Florida!
💫 Thanks to all the permit holders, volunteers, and partners involved in this incredible community science effort, working together to document sea turtle nesting activity across the state!
Check back for monthly updates throughout the season! ✅
📸Photos: FWC
