Sea turtles had a much better nesting season on Keewaydin Island this year than in 2024 when a tropical storm and two hurricanes raked Southwest Florida beaches.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s sea turtle research team counted 558 nests this year on the island, all loggerhead nests except three from green turtles. This year, more than 38,000 hatchlings made it into the Gulf and swam away.

Due to Tropical Storm Debbie, and hurricanes Helene and Milton, more than 180 nests didn’t make it in 2024 – about 43 percent. About 15,000 hatchlings made it into the Gulf last year.

The conservancy began monitoring sea turtle nesting activity on Keewaydin in 1983, making it one of the longest-running sea turtle monitoring programs in the county. That year, about 50 turtles nested on the island

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