The first sea turtle hatchlings have emerged on Sanibel and Captiva! The first nest hatched on June 21, and several other nests have hatched since, with 387 hatchlings starting their journey into the Gulf of Mexico.

“Our volunteers have been incredibly busy this year, and we are so grateful for the long hours they’re spending on the beach to protect our sea turtles,” said Sea Turtle Biologist Jack Brzoza.

We are on track for a record-breaking nesting season, with more than 855 nests on Sanibel and Captiva so far this season, including 18 green sea turtle nests!

Thank you for hatchling towel donations!

We also recently asked the community to help replenish our supply of towels, which help cover buckets that hold and protect hatchlings.

“We’ve received an outpour of responses to this request and have enough towels for the foreseeable future during this busy season,” Brzoza said. “Thank you to those who donated these crucial supplies!”