Skip to main content
Friday, November 13, 2026Nov 13
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Sea turtles set new nesting records in Georgia, Florida

In this Aug. 13, 2015, photo made available by the University of Central Florida, a green turtle hatchling makes its way to the Atlantic Ocean at the Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne, Fla.
In this Aug. 13, 2015, photo made available by the University of Central Florida, a green turtle hatchling makes its way to the Atlantic Ocean at the Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne, Fla. In this Aug. 13, 2015, photo made available by the University of Central Florida, a green turtle hatchling makes its way to the Atlantic Ocean at the Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge in Melbourne, Fla.

By Associated Press 4 min read

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Wildlife biologist Doug Hoffman and his two interns kept busy this summer finding, cataloging and protecting a whopping 570 nests that giant loggerhead sea turtles had filled with eggs along the unspoiled beaches of Cumberland Island.

“It’s a lot of physical effort,” said Hoffman, a biologist for the National Park Service on federally managed Cumberland Island off the Georgia coast. “You’re talking about being in the sun, hauling equipment and digging holes, pounding stakes.”

All the hard work seems to be paying off. Researchers say sea turtles rebounded from a slump last year to deliver one of the strongest summer nesting seasons on record on beaches from the Carolinas to Florida.

Preliminary numbers from Georgia show scientists and volunteers counted a record 2,292 loggerhead nests during the season that runs from May through August. It’s the fifth season in six years that Georgia has surpassed its previous record.

Sea turtle experts in Georgia say the new nesting numbers reinforce their belief that loggerhead sea turtles are making a comeback after 37 years of protection as a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.