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!
Early morning turtle sighting. #spressardhollandbeach #melbournebeachflorida #loggerheadturtle #seaturtles #nature
May 19, 2026 — Day 16 in the Atlantic — Off Hutchinson Island South, FL
The water chops in short pulses.
Not storm. Not calm.
Something between.
#JetTheSeaTurtle #LoggerheadTurtle #HutchinsonIsland #OceanLife #OceanFromBelow
Track Jet live: inwater.org
Geçtiğimiz Cumartesi günü kalbimiz Fethiye sahillerinin geleceği için attı ❤️
🔅Fethiye Kent Konseyi Ekoloji Meclisi olarak Kumun Bekçileri projesi kapsamında düzenlediğimiz buluşmada, Doğan Hocamızdan carettalarla ilgili ezber bozan, son derece eğitici ve bir o kadar da çarpıcı bilgiler dinledik. 🤟
⚠️ Anladık ki, sahilde attığımız her adımın, bıraktığımız her izlerin bu minik dostlarımızın yaşam mücadelesinde devasa bir rolü var.
Daha fazlası için takip etmeyi unutmayın 🐢
Last Saturday, our hearts beat for the future of Fethiye`s beaches ❤️
🔅At the meeting we organized as the Guardians of the Sand project by the Fethiye City Council Ecology Assembly, we listened to groundbreaking, highly educational, and striking information about loggerhead turtles from our esteemed Dr Doğan. 🤟
⚠️ We understood that every step we take on the beach, every trace we leave, plays a huge role in the life struggle of these tiny friends.
Don`t forget to follow for more 🐢
#kumunbekçileri #carettacaretta #loggerheadturtle #marinelife #çalış
Help us settle this one 🐢
We came across this turtle today and at first glance, we were thinking it could be a loggerhead, but we’re keen to hear what everyone else reckons.
Drop your guess in the comments and tell us what makes you think that.
Always good seeing turtles out on country and even better when we can all learn a bit more together.
#TurtleIdentification #LoggerheadTurtle #WildlifeObservation #MarineConservation #TurtleConservation #NatureLovers #WildlifePhotography #LearnTogether #TurtleLove #SaveTheTurtles
I thought you’d take my hand, and in that moment the whole world slowed.. #inmyelement #fintastic #loggerheadturtle #wonderlust #protectwhatyoulove
What dreams are made of 💙🐢🤿
We got Trashy and very turtle-y this past weekend in Boynton Beach! We encountered somewhere between 18-22 Loggerhead turtles between two dives, with seeing only 3 on the first dive- majority were females! Losing count of how many turtles you see on a dive is rare, and absolutely exhilarating! We also had multiple nurse sharks, moray eels, and so many schooling fish! It was raining fishes!
With the help of our Trashy divers, we removed 13lb of debris from the reef, most of which was fishing line- that’s a lotta line!!! Hope to see ya underwater on the next one!!
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#loggerheadturtle #boyntonbeach #buceo #reefcleanup #scuba
May 18, 2026 — Day 15 in the Atlantic — Off Hutchinson Island South, FL
The reef here holds small caves. I rest in one when the current gets strong.
Shelter is knowing where to wait.
#JetTheSeaTurtle #LoggerheadTurtle #HutchinsonIsland #OceanLife #TurtleWatch
Track Jet live: inwater.org
Bow-chicka-bow-wow 💕
You and me baby aren`t nothing but mammals music 🎶
Yesterday was loggerhead turtle mating day apparently!
We got to see it happen on the way out and on the way back! 🤣
#seaturtle #loggerheadturtle #gulflife #mating
May 17, 2026 — Day 14 in the Atlantic — Off Key West, FL
A snorkeler floats above me, holding very still.
I know that feeling — when you`re trying not to disturb something beautiful.
She doesn`t know I see her too.
#MacheteTheTurtle #LoggerheadTurtle #KeyWest #OceanLife #TurtleWatch
Track Machete live: inwater.org
May 17, 2026 — Day 14 in the Atlantic — Off Hutchinson Island South, FL
The reef line runs parallel here. I follow it north.
Sometimes the best direction is the one the current already knows.
#JetTheSeaTurtle #LoggerheadTurtle #HutchinsonIsland #OceanLife #TurtleWatch
Track Jet live: inwater.org
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
