Promoting the conservation of endangered and threatened marine turtles in Northeast Florida
ABOUT BSTP
Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol (BSTP) is making the world a better place for sea turtles on Jacksonville’s beaches. We document strandings for the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, and transport debilitated turtles to rehab facilities. Holding a permit issued by Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC), BSTP performs foot patrols, conducts nesting surveys, and protects marine sea turtles. We proudly serve the beaches as a 501(c)(3) award-winning, non-profit organization.
GOOD TO KNOW
- Nesting Season: May 1 – October 31
- Local Turtles: Loggerheads, Greens, and Leatherbacks
- Endangered & Protected: Sea turtles are protected by the Federal Endangered Species Act (1973) and Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act (379.2431, Florida Statutes).
NEWSWORTHY & NOTABLE
- Find updates and information in our 2023 BSTP Annual Newsletter! From nesting reports to upcoming events, like Dancin’ in the Street and beach clean ups, we’ve got you covered.
- The “Turtle Talks” Activity Book is now available for free download here.
- All BSTP 2023 volunteer positions are filled. Thank you to all who expressed an interest.
- Coming June 16 (World Sea Turtle Day) to a coffee shop near you, the collectible 2023 #CleanDarkFlat Coffee Mug, sponsored by Beaches Energy Services. These mugs have been a huge success in recent years, so be sure to grab yours as soon as they are available. If you’re a coffee shop owner or manager in the Beaches Energy service area and you’d like to make these popular mugs available in your store, please contact us. All proceeds benefit BSTP’s sea turtle conservation activities.
2023 NEST UPDATE
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Monitoring effort: 12km of area, 168 survey days by 45 volunteers.
Total nests: 98 (4 leatherbacks, 94 loggerheads)
Total false crawls: 41 (all loggerheads)
Nests inventoried: 91, producing ~
~ Total Eggs: 9,614
~ Hatched eggs: 8,507
~ Emerged hatchlings: 8,121
Nests impacted by storm-related events: 17
Obstructed Nesting Attempts: 8
Human disturbances: 6
Disorientations: 6
Animal predations: 8
Strandings (YTD): 4
DO YOUR PART TO KEEP SEA TURTLES SAFE
Keep our beaches CLEAN, DARK & FLAT
- Make sure turtles don’t mistake trash for food by keeping the beaches CLEAN of debris.
- Keep the beaches DARK by not using flashlights or flash photography at night. These lights can disrupt nesting and disorient turtles trying to make their way back to the ocean.
- Clear the way for turtles by filling in all holes and ruts to ensure FLAT beaches
- Give nesting turtles plenty of space by keeping your distance.
- Leave no trace behind. Take all of your belongings with you including chairs, umbrellas, and other gear.
Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol is a proud recipient of the 2020 Top-Rated Non-Profit Award from Great Nonprofits — the leading platform for community-sourced stories about nonprofits. Thank you to all who shared their stories and for your continued support of our work with endangered sea turtles. Have an inspiring story? You can share it here.