The beaches of southwest Florida have long been an important nesting area for the loggerhead sea turtle.
Females crawl from the Gulf late at night to lay their nests.
They usually lay 2 to 3 nests per season on a 2-3 year cycle. The eggs begin to hatch after about 60 days. As the young turtles exit the nest they instinctually seek the Gulf by looking for natural light reflecting off the water. Upon reaching the water, hatchlings begin their journey to the Atlantic Ocean. The first days of their lives are spent swimming directly offshore.