Loggerhead Sea Turtles
Returning Home
From May to October each year, Fripp Island experiences a wonder of nature. It is during this time that the loggerhead sea turtles return to nest. Each year dozens of adult females come ashore, on various stretches of beach, to lay a clutch of 100 or more eggs. Many of these females were born on the island only to return some 20 to 30 years later to nest.
Each female will nest and lay eggs 3-5 times each season, digging an egg chamber near dunes away from rising tides. After laying her eggs, the turtle will return to the ocean before returning 12 to 14 days later to build another nesting spot. After the final nesting, turtles return to the ocean and will repeat the cycle every 2-4 years.
Hatchlings
A sea turtle egg will incubate in about 60 days. This varies a bit with temperature, with warmer conditions leading to faster development of the embryos. Interestingly, cooler sand has a tendency to produce more males, while warmer sand produces more females. Once an embryos has fully developed, the hatchlings break out of their shell using “a temporary, sharp egg-tooth, called a ‘caruncle.’ The caruncle is an extension of the upper jaw that falls off soon after birth.” (conserveturtles.org) Now out of their shells, the little hatchlings somehow know to emerge from the sand. Usually emerging at night when the temperature is milder, they dig their way up through about 18” of sand. As a group, the newborns paddle their way to the top before beginning their journey across the sand. This process of emerging can take several days.
Heading to Sea
The journey to the sea is no small task for these little creatures. They must move quickly so as not to get dehydrated or become prey to birds or crabs. As mentioned earlier, many sea turtles return to the beach where they were born. Some scientists believe this is due to a turtle’s ability to read the earth’s magnetic field, while others believe the hatchlings takes an imprint of their birth beach, smell, sound, even celestial cues, while making the trek from nest to water. All pretty amazing, nonetheless.
What to Know
Here on Fripp Island, we are blessed to be a key location for loggerhead nesting along the east coast of the US. With that, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of their habitat and respect their space. To that effort we have the Fripp Island Loggerhead Patrol, made up of volunteers, which monitors and marks nests along the beaches each day throughout the season.
See their photo albums and logs:
Thank you, Fripp Island Loggerhead Patrol! We really appreciate all of your hard work.
If you are fortunate and see an adult female nesting, or traveling to or from the ocean, it is very important to maintain a 20’ distance and be sure to stay clear of her path. Also, do not use flashlights while walking on the beach. If you encounter the hatchlings rising from the sand, or making their way to the water, do not get near and, again, do not use any lighting. Hatchlings rely on the moon over the water to guide their way and can get easily turned around if another light source is nearby.
If you see a hatchling moving away from the ocean, DO NOT pick it up, as it is against federal law to touch a sea turtle without the proper permit. If you see a hatchling and are worried about the direction in which it is moving, please call Fripp Island Security or the Activity Center at (843)-838-1516. (Source: Fripp Island Resort)
The wonders of Fripp island are abundant and the seasonal nesting of loggerhead sea turtles is no exception. Enjoy from a distance and share in the amazing process that has been going on for more than 100 million years!
Whales. Dolphins. The open Atlantic. 🌊
Experience Madeira’s wild side — up close, ethical, unforgettable. 🐬💙
🎟️ Book your ocean adventure today!
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#Madeira #WhaleWatching #DolphinTour #VisitMadeira #oceanadventure #travel #MadeiraIsland #SustainableTravel #WhaleWatchingMadeira #BucketListExperience #loggerheadturtle #xpointmadeira #underwaterworld #spermwhale #pilotwhales #UnforgettableMoments #naturelovers #whalewatching
“Sad Ending” for this Loggerhead sea turtle that washed ashore, about 3km east of the Busselton Jetty, East Busselton, Western Australia - Friday, 3 October 2025.
Most likely the sea turtle has been hit by a boat propeller causing its sad ending.
Thank you to Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Marine Rangers for attending the following morning to remove the turtle for scientific purposes.
Also thank you to my followers for your concern and comforting words.
#sea #turtle #seaturtle #indianocean #geographebay #westernaustralia #dead #sad #ending #possible #cause #boating #propeller #strike #accident #old #age #loggerheadturtle #marinelife #sea #wildlife #beach #walk #spring #october #science #volunteer #marinedebris #oceandebris #collector #volunteer #thankyou
And just like that, 5 months of turtling is over💚
What these photos don`t show is the hard work and dedication from everyone involved this summer🙏🏼
Thank you archelon_greece for making it all possible 🐢
#seaturtleconservation #loggerheadturtle #greece #marineconservation #seaturtle #carettacaretta #seaturtlenest
Snooki, our beloved sea turtle, is moving to the Minnesota Zoo! After years of rehabilitation due to past injuries, she will now thrive in a spacious Atlantic Reef exhibit. Join us in celebrating her journey and learn how you can support her transition through visits, adoptions, and donations (links in Bio). Together, we can continue to protect and rehabilitate sea turtles. #Conservation #SplashOnSnooki #loggerheadturtle #SeaTurtleRescue #WildlifeCare #KBSTRRC #MinnesotaZoo
Early morning walk and got to see this littke one swim off. Hopefully to live a long life
#loggerhead #loggerheadturtle #zakynthos #kalamaki #naturelovers
G O T L O G G E R E D, Q L D
I crossed paths with this adult male loggerhead (a true living dinosaur) during a recent expedition to the Great Barrier Reef. My main camera battery had just died after a mammoth session out on the reef, but fortunately I always carry a backup action cam, just incase moments like this present themselves.
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#oceanlife #loggerhead #turtle #endangeredspecies #marinelife #ocean #greatbarrierreef #heronisland #nature #loggerheadturtle #freedivephotography
🐢✨ What an unforgettable encounter!
Today we were blessed with something truly special – a curious loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) decided to come close and spend some time with us. Moments like these are rare, and they leave us speechless every single time. 💙
Loggerhead turtles are among the oldest ocean wanderers on our planet. They can grow over a meter long, weigh up to 200 kg, and live more than 50 years. 🌊
Imagine all the journeys this gentle giant might have already made across the Atlantic… and then choosing to share a few moments with us here in Madeira. 🐢✨
Encounters like this remind us why we love the ocean so deeply – it’s full of life, magic, and surprises. We felt incredibly lucky and grateful to witness this turtle’s calm, curious presence. 🌞💦
👉 Come join us at XPoint Madeira – every tour is a new adventure, and who knows which amazing creatures might cross your path?
🔗 xpointmadeira.com
#XPointMadeira #LoggerheadTurtle #OceanMagic #MadeiraWildlife #SwimWithDolphins #OceanAdventure #WhaleWatching #MagicalMoments #Madeira_Islands #OnceInALifetime
#SeaTurtle #TurtleLove #TurtleEncounter #WildlifeExperience #MarineWildlife #UnderwaterWorld #EcoTourism #SustainableTravel #MadeiraNature #VisitMadeira #BucketListExperience #OceanLovers #NatureLovers #WildlifePhotography #TravelMadeira
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐦ê𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐨 🐢👩🏽💻
O mês de setembro deixa-nos os seguintes resultados
- 16.721 ninhos registrados
- 1.445 tartarugas trabalhadas
- 104 tartarugas resgatadas
- 1 tartarugas caçadas
- 8.339 tartaruguinhas liberadas
- 13 voluntários
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙨…
- - - - - -
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐞🐢👩🏽💻
El mes de septiembre nos deja los siguientes resultados
- 16.721 nidos contabilizados
- 1.445 Tortugas trabajadas
- 104 Tortugas rescatadas
- 1 tortugas cazadas
- 8.339 tortuguitas liberadas
- 13 voluntarios
𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙨…
#season2025 #nestingseason #seaturtleconservation #loggerheadturtle #tartarugasmarinhas#hatchlings #resultados #setembro #nascimentos #dados #ninhos #resgates #portoferreira #ervatão #naturateam #ilhadeboavista #caboverde #cvnatura2000
Otro recuerdo de Cozumel 🇲🇽. Tortuga Boba filmada en Colombia Cordillera.
Gopro 7.
Filtro rojo PolarPro
#videosub #buceo #videosubmarino #goprosubmarine #buceocozumel #buceomexico #tortugaboba #loggerheadturtle
Have you heard of the turtle theory?
#loggerheadturtle #loggerheadturtles #seaturtles #floridasunset #turtletheory
The Fripp Island Resort offers a Turtle Walk nature program to visit the nests and learn about these magnificent creatures. May through September.
☏ 843-838-1516
