The Mote Marine Laboratory team monitoring sea turtle nesting on 35 miles of Sarasota County beaches found three nests in the first days of May.
Sea turtle nesting season officially began May 1 and continues through Oct. 31.
Mote’s team — about 300 volunteers — monitor beaches on Longboat Key and south throughout Sarasota County.
The first nests were found May 1 on Longboat Key and a third nest was found May 2 on Siesta Key.
“Local nesting has started right on schedule — so far it has been business as unusual,” said Tony Tucker, manager of Mote’s sea turtle conservation and research program.
On Anna Maria Island, the first nest was found April 27 — the earliest nest since data collection began in the early 1980s. Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring patrols the AMI shore.
Nesting by the numbers
As of May 6, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring was reporting:
Number of turtle nests: 2
Number of hatched turtle nests: 2
Number of turtle hatchlings: 0
Read The Islander each week to follow developments during turtle-nesting season.