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Rare Kemp's ridley sea turtle nest spotted on St. Augustine Beach

The species is the smallest and most endangered sea turtle, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla — In a rare occurrence, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle nest was found on a Northeast Florida beach.

The Mickler's Landing Turtle Patrol said on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., crews saw a nest for the endangered species on St. Augustine Beach.

The group is made up of volunteers who walk along the 4.6-mile stretch of Ponte Vedra Beach, monitoring sea turtle nestings while collecting data for research. The work is authorized under a marine turtle permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Kemp's ridleys are the smallest and most endangered sea turtle in the world, according to the National Wildlife Federation. They are known for laying their eggs in the sunlight, another distinction between the species and other sea turtles.

About 95 percent of Kemp's ridley nestings happen in Tamaulipas, Mexico, making the nest in St. Johns County unique.

"For perspective, the entire state of Florida only had six Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests in 2023," the Mickler's Landing Turtle Patrol wrote on Facebook.

As of April 30, 400 Loggerhead nests and 735 Leatherback nests have been documented across Florida beaches, according to the FWC.

The last Kemp's ridley nest documented in St. Johns County was in 2017 near the Sawgrass Beach Club, the Mickler's Landing Turtle Patrol said. 

The Kemp's ridley nesting on St. Augustine Beach isn't the first for Florida this year, though.

On April 28, just days before the start of sea turtle nesting season, the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol watched a Kemp's ridley sea turtle make a nest in the sand.

"What an exciting day for our team and the lucky beachgoers that got to experience this rare occurrence," the group said on Facebook.

Sea turtle nesting season is from May 1 to Oct. 31 in St. Johns County.

Anyone who encounters an injured, sick or deceased sea turtle is asked to contact the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office non-emergency number at (904) 824-8304 or contact FWC at 1-888-404-FWCC.

In VERY exciting news, our friends on St. Augustine Beach saw a Kemp's ridley sea turtle nesting yesterday at 4:30...

Posted by Mickler's Landing Turtle Patrol on Friday, May 10, 2024

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