Sea Turtle Nesting: Protecting Mothers and Hatchlings

Sea turtle nesting beaches are critical welfare and conservation chokepoints. Human disturbance, artificial light, and climate change threaten the welfare of nesting females and emerging hatchlings.

Key Facts

Female sea turtles return to the exact beach where they hatched to lay their own eggs
Artificial light from beach development disorients hatchlings who navigate by moonlight toward the sea
Nesting females are highly vulnerable to disturbance; repeated interruptions cause nest abandonment
Rising sand temperatures from climate change are skewing sex ratios toward females in some populations
Green turtle nesting females have been recorded making up to 7 nesting trips per season

Welfare Considerations

Sea turtle nesting represents an extraordinary natural event that also creates welfare vulnerabilities. Nesting females are exhausted, physiologically stressed, and exposed to predation and human disturbance. Hatchlings face a gauntlet of threats including disorientation from artificial light, predation, and ocean plastic ingestion. Protecting nesting beaches from light pollution, vehicle traffic, and disturbance directly reduces welfare harms while also supporting conservation.

What You Can Do

Support beach lighting ordinances that use turtle-safe red or amber lights during nesting season
Participate in or donate to sea turtle nesting monitoring and protection programs
Avoid beaches with active sea turtle nesting at night during nesting season
Never handle sea turtle hatchlings or nesting females
Remove beach furniture and fill holes before dark during nesting season if at a beach property