NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. — In a significant midseason update, the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch (AISTW) has reported the first-ever Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle nest on the island, along with a successful hatching of a rare leatherback nest.
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“It has been an exciting year for sea turtles on Amelia Island. AISTW documented a total of 156 nests, one of which was a very rare Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys Kempii) sea turtle. This is the first time a Kemp’s Ridley has nested on the island. Another rare species documented this season was a leatherback. Records indicate the last Leatherback (Dermochelys Coriacia) nested here in 2018,” said AISTW President Mary Duffy.
The Kemp’s Ridley nest, laid on May 20, did not result in the emergence of hatchlings. After the required 70 days of incubation, the nest was excavated, revealing 106 unhatched eggs.
“There was one other Kemp’s nest in NE Florida this season that was also infertile. Was it the same turtle? We won’t know for sure until genetics results are determined,” Duffy explained, noting that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) requires genetic sampling for rare species.
In contrast, the Leatherback nest was successful, emerging without issues on August 13 after 69 days of incubation.
“At the time of inventory, there were 2 dead hatchlings in the nest, 4 live hatchlings, 1 dead pipped hatchling, 9 whole unhatched eggs, and 69 shards (empty egg shells). That means there were 79 total eggs in the nest and 63 emerged on their own and crawled to the water. It was a very successful nest,” Duffy reported.
With loggerhead nesting slowing down, the nesting season may soon be over if no new nests are found in the next two weeks. Duffy mentioned, “We are still hopeful for a green turtle nest. They nest later in the season, but if there hasn’t been a green turtle nest yet, there probably won’t be one.”
The AISTW will continue monitoring the remaining nests and will conduct excavations at the appropriate times. “If an excavation is in a location with adequate parking, it will be advertised on the website, www.ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com, Excavation Schedule page. The public is invited to these excavations,” Duffy added.
As of now, 8,098 hatchlings have emerged, with just under 50 nests still to emerge.
“The island might make it to just under 10,000 hatchlings in 2024. It was a pretty good season!” Duffy concluded.
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