This week, our sea turtle nighttime tagging staff documented the first green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nest on Sanibel or Captiva of 2025. This nest was laid by Dellora, a green sea turtle SCCF has encountered 12 times over the last seven years. 

Nearly all sea turtle nests laid on Sanibel and Captiva each year are from loggerheads (Caretta caretta), but we also see up to 30 green turtle nests per season. 

Dellora was originally tagged in 2015 by SCCF’s partners at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida on Keewaydin Island and has been encountered on Sanibel in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022.

“Even though green turtle nesting season is said to typically begin in June, Dellora is usually a little early and tends to be one of the first greens we’ve encountered in a nesting season,” said SCCF Sea Turtle Biologist Jack Brzoza.

SCCF documented the first loggerhead nest on the islands on April 25. There have since been 81 loggerhead nests laid.

Learn more about the difference between loggerhead and green sea turtles.

In Southwest Florida, sea turtle nesting season runs from May 1 through Oct. 31. Please remember to turn off beachfront lights after 9.m., fill in holes, level sandcastles, pick up trash and furniture, and respect posted nesting areas. To report issues with nests or turtles, please call the SCCF Sea Turtle Hotline at 978-728-3663.

Support our Sea Turtle Work by Adopting a Nest or Turtle

Symbolically adopt a nesting loggerhead sea turtle this year and get detailed reports about her nests for the season. This $500 adoption (or $5,000 for a lifetime adoption) will double as a generous gift supporting SCCF’s sea turtle program. You can also adopt a nest or section of the beach for a lower cost. View symbolic adoptions here.