FWC warns Pinellas beachgoers to shield sea turtle hatchlings

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is urging Honeymoon Island and North Pinellas beachgoers to protect sea turtle hatchlings still emerging on local shores.

The agency issued an advisory Thursday, Sept. 3, ahead of the Labor Day weekend of Sept. 5-7, warning that nesting season in Pinellas County runs through Oct. 31. Clearwater Marine Aquarium patrols roughly 21 miles of North Pinellas County beach before sunrise seven days a week, a stretch that covers the Honeymoon Island area, Fox 13 reported.

Dozens of Hatchlings Died on Anna Maria Island

The advisory follows a deadly stretch on Anna Maria Island. In August, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring reported 55 loggerhead hatchlings killed after artificial lighting from nearby homes and businesses drew them toward Gulf Drive instead of the water. The week before the advisory, rescuers recovered more than 70 additional hatchlings that had crawled away from the Gulf on the same island. Five were found dead. Two others turned up in a swimming pool and a storm drain before being taken to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium for rehabilitation.

Carly Oakley, nesting supervisor for Clearwater Marine Aquarium's Sea Turtle Patrol, told Fox 13 the problem is familiar. "We do have hatchlings that get run over ... We have retrieved hatchlings from storm drains, residential pools, storage closets as well," she said.

Artificial Light Draws Hatchlings Away From Water

Hatchlings instinctively crawl toward the brightest horizon, which under natural conditions is moonlight reflecting off the Gulf. Artificial light from homes, hotels and businesses can send them inland instead. Autumn Neilson-Herring of the Sea Turtle Preservation Society told Fox 13 many visitors simply do not realize nesting season is still active.

At a July 30 demonstration of turtle-friendly amber lighting on Treasure Island, Oakley explained why disorientation is so deadly. "When they hatch, they have a 72-hour energy reserve ... So, while they're going in the wrong direction, they're wasting all that energy," she told St. Pete Catalyst. With a 1-in-1,000 survival rate, she said, that wasted energy compounds the danger.

Record Nests Don't Mean Turtles Are Safe

Fox 13 reported that 2026 has been a record-breaking nesting season in parts of Florida, though conservationists caution the strong numbers do not mean the species is safe. According to city of Dunedin guidance, only 1 in every 1,000 hatchlings survives to adulthood. Hatchlings emerging in 2026 will not return to nest for roughly 30 to 35 years.

What FWC Asks Beachgoers To Do

Stay at least 50 feet from nesting turtles and hatchlings.
Skip flashlights, cellphone lights and flash photography after dark.
Turn off lights visible from the beach and close curtains after sunset.
Remove chairs, toys and umbrellas before leaving.
Fill in holes dug in the sand.
Dispose of trash and fishing line properly.
Leave personal fireworks off the beach.

Most Pinellas County beach communities have ordinances prohibiting lighting that casts glare onto the beach during nesting season. Disturbing nests is illegal under state and federal law.

Anyone who finds a disoriented or injured hatchling should call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922 rather than attempting to move the animal.

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