Clearwater Marine Aquarium recorded 405 sea turtle nests along its 21-mile Gulf Coast patrol area in 2025, up from 271 in 2024 and 227 in 2023. The 2026 season is underway, and statewide numbers suggest the upward trend is accelerating.

Through June, Florida loggerheads laid 94,667 nests statewide, the highest total for that month in five years, according to FWC data reported by Paradise News on July 23. Green turtles logged 10,603 nests despite expectations for a quieter year, and leatherbacks reached 2,152 nests, a total that exceeds recent seasons. Rare visitors added to the tally: 15 Kemp's ridley nests and Florida's first confirmed olive ridley nest.

Locally, Clearwater Code Compliance is responding to reports of hatchlings disoriented by shoreline lighting. Some have been found climbing over sand dunes and into parking lots. Residents along the beach are asked to keep lights low or off after dark. Even closing blinds at night can reduce the glow that pulls hatchlings away from the water.

CMA's Sea Turtle Conservation Program Manager Carly Oakley said in late April, when the aquarium launched its 2026 patrol, that the rising nest counts reinforce the need for vigilance. Oakley co-authored a scientific paper published April 15 on disorientation patterns of loggerhead hatchlings in Pinellas County, calling for improved lighting regulations and beach management strategies.

Nesting season runs through Oct. 31. CMA offers a Ride-Along Program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays through September, allowing up to three guests to join biologists during early-morning beach patrols. The aquarium's Protect the Nest program lets residents symbolically adopt an active nest at protectnest.org.

Water restrictions extended through October

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has extended its Modified Phase III water shortage order through Oct. 1. All Pinellas County residents, including those on private wells, must follow a one-day-per-week outdoor watering schedule during limited overnight or evening hours on their assigned day.

Residents with questions can email [email protected] or call 813-856-5679.

Fertilizer ban in effect through September

Pinellas County's rainy-season fertilizer ban prohibits all fertilizer use through Sept. 30. Heavy summer rains wash excess nutrients into storm drains, creeks, and Tampa Bay, fueling harmful algae blooms. Residents may resume fertilizing Oct. 1. Details are available at pinellas.gov/fertilizer.

To report an injured or stranded sea turtle, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 or CMA's emergency line at 727-441-1790, extension 1.

Upcoming dates

  • Through Sept. 30 — Pinellas County fertilizer ban
  • Through Oct. 1 — Modified Phase III water restrictions
  • Through Oct. 31 — Sea turtle nesting season, Clearwater Beach
  • Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays through September — CMA Ride-Along Program, early morning patrols