The Ultimate Guide to Sea Turtles of Florida’s East Coast
- John Palmer Payne
- Oct 14, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 30, 2025
Sea turtles are among the oldest creatures on Earth—ancient mariners who have glided through our oceans for over 100 million years. But today, their survival depends on us. Here on Florida’s East Coast, Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (S.T.O.P.) has dedicated years to rescuing hatchlings, protecting nests, and educating communities about the three incredible species that call our beaches home: the Leatherback, Loggerhead, and Green sea turtle.
Juvenile Green Sea Turtle
If you’ve ever seen the soft flicker of a hatchling racing toward the ocean, you know how magical and fragile these moments can be. Yet, between ocean pollution, artificial lighting, and habitat loss, these ancient travelers face more obstacles than ever.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Florida’s nesting sea turtles—why they matter, how to identify them, the threats they face, and the actions you can take to protect them.
Let’s dive in and explore how we can all help ensure a future where sea turtles continue to thrive in our oceans.
Why Do Sea Turtles Matter to Florida’s Ecosystem?
Every spring and summer, the sandy beaches along Florida’s East Coast become nesting grounds for some of the ocean’s most magnificent creatures. Between March and October, thousands of female sea turtles return to the same beaches where they were born—a journey that spans decades and thousands of miles.
Florida is home to three primary nesting species: the Leatherback, Loggerhead, and Green sea turtle. Each plays a vital ecological role—from balancing food webs to maintaining healthy coral reef and seagrass ecosystems.
Unfortunately, these species face growing threats due to light pollution, plastic waste, climate change, coastal development, and boat strikes. Hatchlings that should be guided to the ocean by the reflection of the moon are often disoriented by beachfront lighting, leading them toward roads and danger instead of safety.
That’s where organizations like Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (S.T.O.P.) come in. Through dedicated volunteer patrols, hatchling rescue operations, and educational programs, S.T.O.P. works tirelessly to ensure every hatchling gets a fighting chance.
Simply put: when we protect sea turtles, we protect the entire marine ecosystem.
Meet the Sea Turtles of Florida’s East Coast
Now, let’s get to know Florida’s three sea turtle species—their defining features, behaviors, and the biggest challenges they face today.
1. Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Status: Critically Endangered Length: 4–7 feet | Weight: Up to 2,000 lbs
The Leatherback is a true ocean giant—and unlike other turtles, it has a soft, leathery shell that gives it its name. This species is highly migratory and pelagic, spending much of its life in the deep, open ocean.
Leatherbacks feed exclusively on jellyfish, helping regulate jellyfish populations and maintain balance in marine ecosystems. However, plastic bags and balloons floating in the ocean look almost identical to jellyfish, often leading to fatal ingestion.
Major threats:
Ocean pollution and plastic ingestion
Commercial fishing entanglement
Loss of nesting habitat from coastal development
Fun fact: Leatherbacks can dive deeper than 3,000 feet—making them one of the world’s deepest-diving animals!
2. Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Status: Threatened (Atlantic Population). Length: 3–4 feet | Weight: 150–375 lbs
The Loggerhead is Florida’s most common nesting sea turtle. Recognizable by its large head and amber-colored skin, this species uses its powerful jaws to crush hard-shelled prey like crabs, conchs, and whelks.
Loggerheads are often found between coral reefs and deeper offshore waters, where they play a critical role in maintaining healthy shellfish populations.
Major threats:
Plastic ingestion (especially by young turtles)
Boat strikes and entanglement in fishing gear
Red tide exposure and habitat loss
Did you know? Loggerheads often return to the exact beach where they hatched, guided by Earth’s magnetic field like an internal compass.
3. Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Status: Downlisted from Endangered to Threatened (2019). Length: 3.5–5 feet | Weight: 250–450 lbs
The Green sea turtle is a story of hope. Once critically endangered, conservation efforts have helped its population recover. Named for the green tint of its muscle and fat, this turtle is a vegetarian as an adult, feeding on seagrass and algae.
By grazing, Green turtles help keep seagrass beds short and healthy, which supports fish populations and carbon sequestration—making them crucial to ocean health.
Major threats:
Marine pollution and ingestion of plastics
Boat collisions
Decline in seagrass due to water pollution
Coastal construction destroying nesting areas
Fun fact: Green turtles can hold their breath for up to five hours while resting underwater.
How You Can Protect Florida’s Sea Turtles
Now that you’ve met Florida’s three nesting sea turtle species, you know just how vital they are to our oceans—and how fragile their survival remains. But the good news is you can make a difference today.
Here’s how to get started:
Turn off beachfront lights at night to protect hatchlings.
Say no to single-use plastics like straws and bags.
Join a beach cleanup or volunteer patrol with S.T.O.P.
Support sea turtle–safe businesses and responsible tourism.
Small actions, when multiplied across communities, create enormous waves of change.
At Sea Turtle Oversight Protection, we believe that every saved hatchling represents hope—hope for our oceans, for biodiversity, and for the next generation.
If this guide inspired you, share it with your friends, explore more resources on SeaTurtleOP.org, or join our next volunteer orientation to see conservation in action.
Together, we can ensure that Florida’s beaches stay wild, dark, and safe—for sea turtles, and for all life that depends on the sea.
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