Florida's sea turtle nesting season is off to an absolute banger of a start. Just two months in, by May 13th, the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute dropped some news that probably made marine biologists do a little happy dance. Loggerheads and leatherbacks are already out-pacing previous record years, which, let's be honest, is a lovely bit of good news in a world that often feels like it's actively trying to set records for… other things.
Specifically, the FWC tallied 1,008 leatherback nests, a tidy 4% bump from last May. And for the world's smallest and most endangered sea turtle, the Kemp’s ridley, they found three nests — double the count from last year. It's a small number, but for a species teetering on the edge, every single nest is a win.
But the real showstoppers? The loggerheads. Their nest count hit 1,450, which is a whopping 82% better than this time last year. Eighty-two percent! Let that satisfying number sink in. The FWC was quick to credit the small army of biologists, interns, volunteers, and permit holders who put in the grueling work to collect this data. Because apparently, counting sea turtle nests isn't a job you do from a comfy office chair.
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Bouncing Back Like a Boss
This strong start is even more impressive when you remember what these turtles went through. Last year, 2025, was supposed to be a record-breaker. Green sea turtles had a stellar year with 66,476 nests, and leatherbacks set their own statewide record with 2,012 nests. Loggerheads, as always, were the most common nesters, hitting over 100,000 nests. But then Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton decided to redecorate the Florida coastline. Beaches were reshaped, dunes vanished, and countless nests were simply washed away.
Yet, here we are in 2026, and the turtles are, quite literally, digging in. The season still has a long way to go, but the FWC is cautiously optimistic that several species will continue to break records. Which, if you think about it, is a pretty solid metaphor for resilience. Even after nature throws a tantrum, life, uh, finds a way. And sometimes, that way involves a whole lot of tiny flippers.
