Celebrate National Adoption Month in November, 10% off adoptions-prices as marked

If you are adopting as a gift, please enter the recipient information in the donation message field.

Your symbolic adoption helps to provide care for Hope for one year.

Sea turtle nesting season extends from May 1st through Oct. 31st. Beginning April 1st, Clearwater Marine Aquarium patrols a 26 mile stretch of beach throughout Pinellas County. Our morning patrols reach the beach just before sunrise 7 days a week. Initially, our teams of nearly 175 volunteers, staff and interns search along the high tide line for evidence of sea turtle nesting activity namely, marks in the sand left by crawling females.

As incubation times range between 50 and 60 days, we begin to look for hatching activity 45 days after our first nest discovery. Hatching activity is identified by tracks emerging from the nest sites. We also extend our beach patrol coverage throughout the night to monitor nests and release hatchling as soon as they emerge. Due to the dense population of Pinellas County, we have significant issues with artificial lighting causing hatchling disorientation events.

Generally we find our first nest of the season in early to mid May and the females will continue nesting until the middle of August. Primarily, we encounter loggerheads nesting on our beaches but on rare occasions have encountered Kemp’s ridleys or green sea turtles.

For more information, please contact Tammy Baureis at [email protected].