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turtle species that visit here
Large, air-breathing reptiles
Sea Turtles are large, air-breathing reptiles with streamlined shells and strong front flippers used for swimming power and smaller hind flippers used as rudders and, in females, for digging nests in the sandy beaches. Agile and powerful swimmers, they have limited maneuverability on land and move slowly.
Of the seven species of sea turtles existing world-wide, five use Florida’s marine and beach habitats. The sea turtle species to most commonly nest on our local Southwest Florida beaches is the Loggerhead turtle, a federal listed Threatened species, whose scientific name is Caretta caretta. Manasota Key has been designated a Critical Habitat for the Loggerhead turtle.
Increasing number of Green's
Increasing numbers of nests of the Green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, are documented each season. Green sea turtles were listed as Endangered until April 2016 when they were downlisted to the Threatened category within the Endangered Species Act (1973).
Kemp's ridley nests in small numbers
A small number of Endangered Kemp’s ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, turtles nest here as well. They are the only species that usually nests in the daytime. If you come across a nesting turtle during the day please contact us right away giving us the location of the turtle, time and a photo.
First Ever Recorded Leatherback on Manasota Key
In 2024, CWC volunteers documented an endangered Leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coreacia, nesting on Manasota Key. The nest successfully hatched. This is the first such documentation of a nest from this species on Manasota Key.
The hawksbill, Eretmochelys imbricata, sea turtle nest occasionally nests in the Florida Keys.
For more information visit: http://www.seaturtlestatus.org
Sea turtle species images credit: Dawn Witherington, The Florida Sea Turtle Life History Posters Project was originally funded by a grant from the Sea Turtle License Plate Program. This project involved the development and distribution of a life history poster for each of the five species of sea turtles found in Florida.