Nesting numbers

A sea turtle nest is marked on Siesta Key Beach this past summer. Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program, which patrols 35 miles of shoreline May 1-Oct. 31 from Longboat Key to Venice recorded 4,284 sea turtle nests in 2023. The current record for Mote’s area is 5,112 nests, set in 2019. The 2023 numbers included 4,091 loggerhead nests and 193 green nests. About 75% of the nests were hatched before Hurricane Idalia impacted beaches in late August. Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring expects to release its final numbers for the season by the end of the month. Islander Photo: Courtesy Mote Marine