![]() ![]() Path left by a nesting sea turtle | Image credit: Sea Turtle Preservation Society What to expectĮach Turtle Walk begins with an educational introduction by a member of the escort team. Simons lovingly explained, “They find their spot and do their thing.” The whole experience lasts about 90 minutes. The guided Turtle Walks are limited to the most active nesting time for loggerheads. ![]() Given the Turtle Walks begin at 9:00pm, there’s not a lot of demand for a four-hour experience. “The green sea turtles take forever to nest,” continued Ms. “They are the most endangered and rarely seen.” “The Leatherbacks are the ‘unicorn’ of sea turtles,” explained Donna Simons of the STPS Education Center. Reservations begin May 1 for STPS and May 10 for STC, and generally sell out. Though the official sea turtle nesting season is May – October, the Turtle Walks only happen in June and July. These conservation-based centers have made it their life’s work to help preserve sea turtles, educate the public, and share these magnificent creatures in a respectful way. The best way to experience a nesting sea turtle is to participate in a “Turtle Walk.” The Sea Turtle Preservation Society (STPS) and the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) at the Barrier Island Sanctuary are both permitted by the State of Florida to lead Turtle Walks. Joining a Sea Turtle Walk invites you to passively observe this process. And given the endangered status of our turtles, interaction with them is heavily regulated. However, seeing a sea turtle nest is often missed by the untrained eye. In fact, Florida alone is home to 90% of all sea turtle nests laid in the United States each year. With 72 miles of gentle sand beaches, Florida’s Space Coast is home to three of the world’s seven species of sea turtles.Įvery year, loggerheads, leatherbacks and green sea turtles lumber up the beach to nest along the Space Coast shoreline. ![]() It’s a wonder of nature that is central to Florida's Space Coast and not found in many other places: a guided Sea Turtle Walk to observe sea turtle nesting. But there are a couple of months during the year where being on the beach at night brings a different wonder. Come visit and learn at the Marine Science Center, and then take your newfound knowledge outside and explore the marine wonders at our doorstep.Walking hand in hand along the beach under the light of the moon, shoes off and water lapping over your feet is quite a magical way to end a date night on the Space Coast. From feeding stingrays to enjoying the “Raptors Live” programs, there are many opportunities to learn about the wildlife that call Volusia County home. The Marine Science Center also offers a variety of virtual educational programs. Join us as we seek to conserve our environment through education, research and stewardship. Discover ways you can conserve and protect the marine environment and resources around us. Learn about the ways we rehabilitate them so they can be released back into the wild. While at the Marine Science Center, view our medical facilities where seabirds and sea turtles are treated for their injuries and illnesses. Through innovative learning experiences, visitors can view seabird and sea turtle rehabilitation, get hands-on in a teaching lab, and explore exhibit galleries and a nature trail that illustrate the story of marine life in Volusia County. Please see the information listed on the "Injured bird or turtle drop-off" link above.)ĭiscover and learn about Volusia County’s rich marine life – its inhabitants and the ecosystems that make this area unique – at the Marine Science Center. (*Bird intake has been temporarily closed due to Avian Influenza. Residents who find a sick or injured turtle or seabird can call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-FWCC or the Marine Science Center at 38 for instructions. *Sales tax is included in the admission price.Įmployees work seven days a week to care for the sick and injured turtles and seabirds in their care. ![]()
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