Each nesting season, the turtles return three or four times to their lay eggs. An individual loggerhead and green sea turtle, which nest along the Florida Panhandle, returns to the Gulf coast every other year, Maxwell said. Last year, South Walton Turtle Watch supervised 55 nests. Upon discovering a nest, Maxwell and her crew try to ensure hatchlings will have ample opportunity to reach the Gulf by marking the nesting sites and reducing impediments such as artificial light, which disorients turtles and causes them to move away from the water after hatching. The baby turtles that don't make their way quickly to the water are at risk of predators such as birds as well as exposure to the sun.
Sea turtles rely on the reflection of moonlight to locate the ocean.
Artificial light, such as that produced by flashlights or residential security lights, can cause them to go the wrong direction. Another way people may unwittingly interfere with turtle nesting is by leaving debris on the beach. Maxwell says umbrellas, chairs and toys can obstruct the path of female turtles, forcing them to return to the sea and thereby delaying nesting. The loggerhead sub-species found on the Gulf coast has yet to be designated with a specific name, Maxwell said. To promote the conservation of sea turtles, state officials are working with several environmental groups such as The National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation to initiate a billboard campaign to alert Florida residents about turtle nesting season.