A sea turtle nest is marked on Fernandina Beach.
Amelia Island’s sea turtles are making the most of the 2026 nesting season.
By the end of June, volunteers with the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch documented more than 200 sea turtle nests along the island’s 11.5-mile coastline — a milestone that organization leaders say is rarely reached so early in the season. As of Tuesday, the count was at 215 nests.
“It’s rare that that happens,” said AISTW President Ronda Bokram. “It’s a really exciting year, actually.”
According to the nonprofit’s records, only one other year — 2019 — has surpassed 200 nests by the end of June during the organization’s 12 years of compiled data.
“The average for the 11 years at the end of June would probably be about 130,” said Bill Bokram, Ronda’s husband who also manages the organization’s nesting data.
The overwhelming majority of nests belong to loggerhead sea turtles, the species most commonly found on Amelia Island. Volunteers have also documented at least one green sea turtle nest and one leatherback nest this season.
Ronda said sea turtle nesting numbers naturally fluctuate because female turtles do not return to nest every year.
“The turtles don’t all come every year,” she said. “They take a year or two off. So this could be just a year where all of a sudden every turtle decided to come back.”
Bill said increasing loggerhead nesting numbers have been observed along much of Florida’s Atlantic coast. Researchers believe food availability may influence how frequently female turtles return to nest.
“We believe that they might take another year before they come back if their food supply isn’t very good,” he said.
Once nesting begins, however, female turtles expend enormous amounts of energy.
“The moms, when they nest, they nest every two weeks, four to six times in a row for the summer,” Ronda said. “They are constantly going out and producing another clutch and coming back and laying it two weeks later... and not eating during that time.”
She noted that the several-hundred-pound turtles must effectively “swim” across the sand because they cannot lift themselves off the beach surface.
Monitoring the growing number of nests is a community-wide effort.
Since 1986, the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch has monitored nesting activity across Amelia Island’s beaches. More than 150 volunteers participate in the organization, walking assigned sections of beach throughout nesting season.
Each volunteer is responsible for one day each week, with substitute volunteers filling in as needed.
Only 13 certified volunteers, however, are permitted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to mark nests or handle turtles, hatchlings and eggs.
“We have 13 active permanent volunteers... who can mark nests, handle eggs, handle hatchlings, handle turtles,” Ronda said. “We have to take yearly trainings in order to keep that certification.”
The organization also credits the public with helping protect nesting turtles.
“There are a lot of people on the beach who know how to get ahold of us,” Ronda said.
Beachgoers frequently report turtle tracks or suspected nesting activity, while city and county code enforcement officers respond quickly to reports involving lighting or other potential disturbances.
“I don’t think anything would be unseen on our beach,” she said.
The first hatchlings are expected to begin emerging in about two weeks.
“In a couple weeks, they’ll still be laying, but they will start emerging,” Ronda said.
After hatchlings leave a nest, volunteers wait three days before conducting a public excavation to count eggs, document hatch success and rescue any hatchlings that may remain trapped.
“When it emerges, we do know that three days later, we’ll dig up the contents and count it and everybody is welcome,” Bill said.
Volunteers are also reminding residents and visitors that lights and disrupted sand can create challenges for nesting turtles.
Artificial lighting from homes, businesses and flashlights can disorient hatchlings, which instinctively crawl toward the brightest horizon — normally moonlight reflecting off the ocean. Excess lighting can instead draw them inland, where they face traffic, predators or swimming pools.
The organization asks beachgoers to avoid marked nesting areas, keep dogs leashed, remove trash and beach equipment before leaving, and minimize beachfront lighting whenever possible.
Ronda said the nonprofit’s experienced volunteer team is ready for what promises to be another busy month, but community support remains essential.
“If you see us out there in our shirts... have any questions? Come ask us. Don’t be a stranger if you want to get involved,” she said. “We’re happy to talk to anybody.”
amulligan@fbnewsleader.com