SEA TURTLE UPDATE
There are only 2 nests left on Anna Maria Island. We had 1 more nest hatch this week and unfortunately, it disoriented. Three nests were inventoried adding 96 hatchlings to our total hatchling production which is currently 17,609 for the year. Heavy surf from Hurricane Isaias has been flooding the beaches, however, we are grateful that the storms have held off until now! The remaining two nests are nearing their overdue date and are not expected to hatch due to prior water inundation and predation by coyotes. They will be inventoried next week, which will likely be our last report of the season. Here are the current nesting numbers for 2026:
| 10/3/2026 – 10/9/2026 | This Year |
| Nests this week | 0 |
| False Crawls this week | 0 |
| Total Nests | 460 |
| Total False Crawls | 567 |
| Adult Disorientations | 20 |
| Hatched Nests | 261 |
| Nests Inventoried | 345 |
| Nests remaining on the beach | 2 |
| Hatchlings Produced | 17,609 |
| Hatch Disorientations | 91 |
| # Disoriented Hatchlings | 2,487 – 5,790 |
| # Diso Hatchlings found dead | 259 |
Stay Turtle-Friendly until Oct 31!
Sea Turtle nesting season is winding down but please remember that even if you don’t see any nests in your area, you could be contributing to disorientations. There are still nests on Longboat Key that may be incubating into November and lighting from Anna Maria can impact those nests as well. Sea Turtle Protection ordinances run from May 1 – October 31, so please keep up the good work!
Our Annual Fundraiser is nearly here!
Suzi Fox Turtle Watch Wednesday, AMITW’s annual fundraiser is coming up next Wednesday October 21 from 4pm – 6pm at Hurricane Hanks (5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach (see attached flier). This is a FREE event, Open to the Public. We will have a silent auction, live auction, a raffle and a wine pull. AMITW will also have our educational booth so you can come learn what we do and how you can help sea turtles and shorebirds!
Keep an eye on our social media pages for daily peeks at the auction items you can win and be sure to come by and join the fun with all the AMITW volunteers and sponsors on the 21st!
Photos:
King Tide Nest Inundation – One of our last remaining nests was inundated by King tides on September 30 and again this weekend as Hurricane Isaias passed through the Gulf. It’s unlikely that this nest will hatch, but we will inventory it, like all the other nests, as every nest provides important data!
Last Hatchling of 2026 – this little hatchling and the rest of its siblings disoriented into Gulf Drive this week. Fortunately, this one made it across and was found in an alcove in the morning. AMITW patrollers searched the area for others but this was the only one that we were able to release that morning. Safe travels little turtle!