This Mother’s Day weekend on Florida’s Gulf Coast, some mothers will be laboring under cover of darkness, crawling ashore, digging deep into sand and slipping back into the Gulf before sunrise after leaving behind clutches of 60-100 eggs about the size of ping-pong balls.

Sea turtle nesting season began May 1, though as of that date, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring had not reported any nests.

Shorebird nesting season is also underway.

Nesting activity on island shores is protected under a layered framework of federal, state and local regulations.

Sea turtles, including the loggerhead — the species most commonly nesting on AMI — are classified as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and may not be harassed, harmed or disturbed.

Shorebirds such as least terns, black skimmers, American oystercatchers and snowy plovers are protected by state and federal law as imperiled species.

Locally, the island’s three municipalities enforce ordinances governing beach lighting, beach gear, furniture and other conditions that affect nesting wildlife.

What can beachgoers and coastal inhabitants do to help make nesting a success this season? Here is a checklist of best practices.

Sea turtles

Do:

• Shield or turn off outdoor lights visible from the beach and close drapes to shield lighting after dark through October. Light disorients nesting females and emerging hatchlings, which rely on the reflection of the moon and stars to guide them back to the water.
• Remove beach furniture, toys and equipment from the sand each night. Obstacles can trap nesting turtles and hatchlings.
• Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before leaving the beach. Even shallow depressions can disorientate or strand sea turtles.
• Remain quiet and observe from a distance if there’s a sea turtle on the beach. Do not approach, touch or photograph with flash.
• Report distressed turtles — adult or hatchling — to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring at 941-301-8434 and to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-3922.
• Spread the word. If someone disturbs a nest or turtle, call FWC’s hotline at 888-404-FWCC.

Do not:

• Use flashlights, cellphone lighting, flash photography or fishing lamps on the beach at night.
• Approach or disturb a nesting turtle or pick up hatchlings heading toward the water.
• Use fireworks on the beach.
• Drive on the beach.

Shorebirds

Do:

• Give large flocks of birds space. When birds congregate on the beach, keep a distance.
• Respect posted nesting and resting areas.
• Keep the beach clean and do not feed wildlife.
• Keep cats indoors. Keep dogs off the beach. Even well-behaved pets are perceived as predators by nesting birds.
• Report continued disturbance of nesting birds to FWC’s hotline, 888-404-3922.

Do not:

• Force birds to fly. When flushed, birds expend energy needed for nesting and may abandon scrapes, leaving eggs and chicks exposed.
• Fly kites or drones near potential nesting areas. Birds may perceive them as aerial predators.

• Let litter blow onto the beach. Marine debris can entangle birds and turtles and cause illness or death if consumed.

Turtle talks on Mondays

AMITW’s Turtle Tracks & Shorebird Facts is a free weekly presentation at 10 a.m. Mondays, May-August, at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive.

For more information, visit islandturtlewatch.com or call 941-301-8434.

By the numbers

As of May 1, AMITW had reported no nests in the 2026 season.

About AMITW

AMITW collects data on sea turtles and shorebirds. Nesting data is required by beach renourishment contracts and AMITW is compensated by the county.