Home : Features : Sea Turtles : Sea Turtle Nesting

Loggerhead Nesting In Florida

The southeastern United States hosts the world's largest nesting aggregation of the loggerhead turtle.

---

In the United States, 90 percent of all loggerhead nesting occurs in Florida. The majority of this nesting takes place on the east coast of Florida. In fact, in Brevard County there were 22,994 loggerhead nests in 2003.

The loggerhead turtle is the most common sea turtle found in Florida. It has a reddish-brown shell and is named for its large head. Adults can weigh between 200 and 350 pounds and can reach 3 feet in length. Loggerheads typically nest in Florida from April through
September.

Females return to their nesting beach every two or more years to lay about four to seven nests, one about every 14 days. Each nest contains on average 100–126 eggs that incubate about 60 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The graph below shows a 2007 total of 45,084 loggerhead nests over the 1,309 km of surveyed beaches in Florida

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the link below to view a table containing nesting data for loggerhead turtles over the past 17 years. View Table of Statewide Loggerhead Nests