Turtle tracks: Sea turtles add 28 more nests and 10,546 more hatchlings in St. Johns County
The record-breaking sea turtle nesting season in St. Johns County slowed a bit last week.
Sea turtles nests in St. Johns County increased by 28 as of Aug. 12, according to St. Johns County Beaches. The total of 1,188 has topped the 2019 record of 1,145.
There have been 37,711 turtle hatchlings since the beginning of the season on May 1. There was an increase of 10,546 over the past week.
Turtle Tracks: St. Johns County sea turtle nests reach record-high of 1,160
North beaches continue to lead the way with 888 reported nests, an increase of 24 over the past week. This is followed by Anastasia Island with 200 and Matanzas Inlet South with 100.
The endangered loggerhead sea turtles have 1,121 nests in St. Johns County, with 833 in north beaches. There are 50 green nests, 16 leatherback nests and one Kemp's ridley nest.
If a sea turtle is spotted or in distress, call the St. Johns County Sheriff's dispatch at 904-824-8304. For information, visit sjcfl.us/HCP/index.aspx.
Following is the count of the total sea turtle nests in St. Johns County as of Aug. 12, 2022, according to St. Johns County Beaches.
North beaches
Loggerheads: 833
Greens: 41
Leatherbacks: 13
Kemp’s ridley: 1
Subtotal: 888
Anastasia Island
Loggerheads: 198
Greens: 2
Leatherbacks: 0
Kemp’s ridley: 0
Subtotal: 200
Matanzas Inlet South
Loggerheads: 90
Greens: 7
Leatherbacks: 3
Kemp’s ridley: 0
Subtotal: 100
Total: 1,188
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: St. Johns adds 28 nests in record-breaking sea turtle nesting season
