Twenty loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle nests have been documented on Sanibel and Captiva since April 22, when the first nest was discovered by SCCF volunteers on Captiva Island.

Unfortunately, some extreme high tides and winds over the weekend left several of these new nests washed over, but SCCF staff say it’s not a certain loss.

“While wash overs can create inundation of egg chambers, it is possible for some of these nests to still produce viable eggs, and we will continue to monitor them over the next several weeks,” said SCCF Sea Turtle Technician Carley Nolan. “While the start of the nesting season has been unpredictable, we are thrilled to see what the remainder has in store.”

April 22 is the third-earliest documented loggerhead nest laid on Sanibel or Captiva, with the earliest being on April 15 in 2020. Before that, the record was April 16 in 2018.

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