First Leatherback Sea Turtle Nest of 2006

For Immediate Release: March 17, 2006
For more information, call: Carly de Maye (561) 233-2519 Paul Davis 233-2509

As if on cue, the first sea turtle nest of the season was laid on March 9, during the first week of sea turtle nesting season. The nest was observed at Lake Worth Inlet beach and was created by a leatherback sea turtle, the largest species of turtle in the world.

Leatherbacks are the earliest sea turtles to arrive on Florida’s beaches, with the first nest of the season generally occurring in March. Typically, Palm Beach County records the highest number of leatherback nests in the state, accounting for over 40 percent of the total leatherback nesting in the United States. Though lower than the record high of 329 nests in the 2001 nesting season, leatherback nesting (284 nests) was well above average during the 2005 nesting season. Leatherback nesting is most dense in the northern portions of Palm Beach County, with Jupiter, Juno Beach and Singer Island accounting for over 50 percent of the total leatherback nesting in the County.

Unfortunately, this critically endangered species is subject to many human threats. Artificial lighting disorients hatchlings, causing them to wander inland where they often die of dehydration or predation. The first nest of the season is a reminder that now is the time for all beachfront properties to turn off lights visible from the beach. Most leatherback populations around the world are in a major decline, especially in the Pacific, where the primary threats are incidental capture by commercial longline fishing operations and egg harvesting.

The endangered leatherback is the largest of the sea turtles, weighing up to 2,000 pounds. This mammoth sea turtle feeds almost entirely on jellyfish and can tolerate the colder waters of the North Atlantic as well as the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean. Named for its smooth, rubbery skin, the leatherback is the only sea turtle lacking a hard outer shell. Aided by their long, powerful flippers, leatherbacks are capable of diving more than 3,000 feet deep and have been known to migrate more than 3,000 miles away from their nesting beaches.

###