This will be the last email of the nesting season. We have only one nest left on Anna Maria Island which we will continue to check daily until it hatches or reaches the 70-day over due date; at which point it will be excavated to determine how many eggs were in the nest and how many of those eggs hatched. Below are some totals that are taken from our preliminary numbers. Over the next few months, we will be double checking all the data, so some numbers may change slightly.
Major Accomplishments!
This year has been an excellent year for green turtle nests – with a record 16 green turtle nests documented – the previous record was 12 nests. It has also been the 2nd highest year for loggerhead nests, 2nd only to 2024 which had 685 loggerhead nests. The lack of major storms this season allowed most nests to hatch and 2025 to become the 3rd highest year for hatchling production on AMI.
Below is a graph of the number of sea turtle nests laid on AMI from 1982 – 2025. The increase in nesting numbers can be attributed to conservation efforts of the Endangered Species Act and volunteers that came 25-35 years before us protecting sea turtles and their nests so that the hatchlings produced back then are now returning as adults laying nests on AMI!
Sadly, we also had a record year for disorientations. Disorientations are when sea turtles travel away from the water towards artificial lighting (e.g., streetlights, porch lights, flashlights, interior lights), often leading them into hazardous situations like the street, swimming pools and storm drains. We had a total of 181 disorientations documented in 2025, including 30 adults and 151 hatching nests. Of these disorientations, a minimum of 3,951 (and a maximum of over 9,000) hatchlings disoriented, including 217 that were found dead. Over 400 live hatchlings were found in swimming pools and storm drains and had to be taken to rehabilitation. Much of these disorientations can be attributed to the lack of dunes and vegetation – destroyed by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 – allowing lights which had been shielded by these dunes and vegetation to reach the beach. We have been working with the local municipalities to try to address these lighting issues over the nesting season and will continue to work on this over the winter so that it may not be as big of a problem in 2026
To learn more about sea turtles and shorebirds, come find AMITW at these upcoming events:
6th Annual Suzi Fox Turtle Watch Wednesday! Our annual fundraiser is being held NEXT WEDNESDAY, October 22nd from 4pm – 6pm at Hurricane Hanks (5346 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach). This is a FREE event, so come be a part of this fun event for a great cause! (see attached flyer for details)
AMITW booth at the Anna Maria Farmer’s Market – Meet our turtle patrol volunteers and learn about shorebirds and sea turtles while you shop. Weekly on Tuesdays from 9am – 2pm at Roser Memorial Community Church (512 Pine Ave) starting October 7th.
Save the date for Suzi Fox Day – May 1, 2026 when we will kick off the 2026 sea turtle nesting season with an educational event to provide the community with educational materials, turtle friendly lighting solutions and teach them about how to conserve and protect the sea turtles on AMI.
Photos:
NestExcavation2: AMITW excavate a nest 3 days after a hatch is observed or 70 days after the nest is laid (whichever comes first) to determine how well the nest did. Here Maureen Richmond counts the eggs while Cindy Hodge digs deep into the sand, to pull out the eggs from a hatched green turtle nest. One live hatchling was found in this nest along with 118 hatched eggshells and 11 unhatched eggs (which will not hatch). 91% (118 hatched eggs of 129 total eggs) is an excellent hatch success! Credit: Amy Waterbury
Green Hatchling: A green hatchling found in a nest excavation makes its way to the water. Credit: Amy Waterbury
Bayfest: With turtle nesting season coming to a close, AMITW volunteers can be found at local events educating the public about sea turtles and how they can help conserve and protect them. Here AMITW volunteers, Lisa Picciano and Andrea Cramer, man our booth at Bayfest. Credit: Danielle Kimberly
