Females only nest every two to three years, but can lay up to six clutches of eggs within one breeding season, at an average 15-21 day interval. Re-nesting females will often return to the same beach, sometimes within meters of previous nests. Today, most nesting populations are declining due to the exploitation and destruction of their nesting habitats. Beach development, shoreline and dune erosion, unregulated vehicle traffic onshore, and unregulated fishing and reef damaging activities can pose a significant threat to nesting turtles and their hatchlings. As adults, the greatest natural predator to turtles other than humans are sharks.
Marine debris is a threat to sea turtles.
Sea turtles can become entangled in discarded netting. Dead sea turtles that have washed ashore have been found with plastics and other debris in their digestive system. Walking through sand dunes near the vegetation line not only contributes to dune erosion, but can also disturb or trample nests. Reporting of turtle tracks, nesting activities, turtles basking on land, or injured or dead sea turtles is critical to the protection and management of this species. Help clean up our beaches.