Celebrating Sea Turtle Moms

by · May 1, 2026

Nesting Green Sea Turtle. Photo by Cindy Lang.

Mother’s Day is just a few days away, so it’s time to celebrate ALL the hard-working moms everywhere – including sea turtle mamas! Let’s take a quick look at the breeding cycle of a female sea turtle. You’ll be amazed how much time and energy it takes to nest.

Preparing for Nesting

Female sea turtles nest every two to three years (depending on the species). They spend that time at their feeding grounds gaining weight and replenishing their fat stores. If food is scarce, a female will forgo breeding until her body has enough reserves.

When females are ready to breed, they start a process called vitellogenesis several months before migrating to their nesting grounds. This process builds up “protein and lipid within the yolk of the growing egg follicles.” (1) These proteins and lipids provide the metabolic energy that the egg follicles need to develop. (2) This process continues as they migrate to their nesting grounds.

Migrating to the Nesting Grounds

A female may swim hundreds of miles to reach her nesting grounds. Amazingly, she will return to the same beach, or group of beaches, where she was born. (3) Mating can occur during this migration and the female stores the sperm until she ovulates.

Mating and Nesting

Mating also occurs in the coastal waters offshore the nesting grounds, and females may mate with multiple males. Approximately two weeks before nesting, ovulation occurs and the eggs are fertilized by the stored sperm. As the eggs develop, albumen is added, and three days before nesting, the shell is formed. (1)

When a female is finally ready to nest, she crawls onto the beach and selects a nesting site. She first digs a body pit using all four flippers, then digs an egg chamber with her rear flippers. After laying between 70-120 eggs (depending on the species), she uses her rear flippers to cover the eggs with sand then compacts it down. Lastly, she camouflages her nest by covering it with sand and returns to the ocean. (1) For additional information about the nesting process, please read the STPS blog: “A Look at Sea Turtle Nesting” by Brianna Forte.

Females stay at their nesting grounds for about one to two months (3) and will lay one to six nests each season (depending on the species). When she’s finished nesting, she swims back to her foraging grounds and the cycle begins again.

Adapting to Our Warming Climate

Climate change is causing sea turtle moms to change their nesting behaviors. A recent study of loggerheads in the Cabo Verde archipelago off the West Coast of Africa found that females are nesting earlier due to warmer temperatures. In addition, the productivity of their feeding grounds has declined. So, it takes longer to build up their reserves and nest again. The 17-year study found that the interval between nesting increased from about 2 years to 4 years. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that the females laid fewer nests each season with fewer eggs in each nest. (4)

Helping Nesting Sea Turtles

During nesting season from March 1st through October 31st, it’s important that we protect nesting female sea turtles, their eggs, and hatchlings. Here are a few things you can do to help:

  • Keep the Beach Clean and Flat – After you visit the beach, please be sure to pick up clothes, shoes, toys, chairs, umbrellas, and trash. Also, please fill in any holes and flatten any sand castles or mounds. These obstructions can prevent females from nesting and keep hatchlings from reaching the ocean.
  • Lights Out on the Beach – Artificial lights can disorient nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings. If you live beachside, be sure to follow Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Sea Turtle Lighting Guidelines.
  • Avoid the Beach at Night – If you must be on the beach at night, don’t use flashlights or phones to see and never use a phone or camera flash to take pictures.
  • Respect Nesting Sea Turtles, Their Nests, and Hatchlings – Keep your distance (at least 50 feet) and do not touch or disturb nesting sea turtles, hatchlings, or their nests.
  • Do Not Walk on Sand Dunes – Use designated crossovers and walkways and follow posted signs.
  • Keep Pets Off the Beach – Please keep pets away from the beach and other areas where sea turtles and birds are nesting.
  • Prevent Boat Strikes – As sea turtles gather just offshore during nesting season, boaters are advised to post a lookout for marine animals, wear polarized sunglasses to help see animals in the water, and follow all posted speed signs.
  • Dispose of Fishing Line, Netting and Plastics – Please dispose of fishing line, nets and plastics properly. In Brevard County, recycle fishing line using the Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program.

Learn more about how you can help nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings by reading Florida FWC’s “Be a Beach Hero” brochure.

What To Do If You Find a Distressed, Sick, or Injured Sea Turtle

  • If you are in Brevard County and see a sea turtle that is trapped or struggling, or a hatchling crawling in the wrong direction, please call the STPS Emergency Hotline 321-206-0646. Be sure to provide the location (street address if possible), condition of the turtle, and your name. We will call you back on the phone number that you placed the call from. For more information, see the STPS Emergency Information webpage.
  • Everywhere else in Florida, please call the Florida FWC at 1-888-404-3922.

Sources:

Additional Information:

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