Palm Beach County's beaches are unique. We have a large population of people living on and using beaches that are critically important for sea turtle nesting. Every day, thousands of people play on beaches which are the nurseries for hundreds of thousands of sea turtle eggs during the summer months. Conflicts arise from our activities, including coastal development, that have a direct effect on the continued survival of sea turtles.
Sea turtles have been swimming the oceans for more than 100 million years and have been using our beaches, reefs and estuaries long before man settled in Florida. In recent years, sea turtle populations have declined because of man's activities and they are now "endangered" and "threatened" species. This means that steps must be taken to stop their decline or they may become extinct. Those of us who live and play in Palm Beach County have a special opportunity and responsibility to protect these creatures and their vulnerable nesting and feeding grounds. A number of researchers, volunteer groups and agencies are at work monitoring nesting beaches and conducting research to learn more about sea turtles.
Loggerhead turtles lay the vast majority of nests in Palm Beach County, with green and leatherback turtles accounting for the remainder of the nests. Two other species also can be found in our off-shore waters: the hawksbill and the very rare Kemp's Ridley. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the leatherback, green, hawksbill and Kemp's Ridley sea turtles as "endangered", and the loggerhead as a "threatened" species.
Coastal
