Summers on Anna Maria Island don’t just mean sunny days. The months of June, July and August are sea turtle nesting season here, and it’s no surprise to spot sea turtle tracks on our white-sand beaches or volunteers building protective barriers around new nests.

This time of year, sea turtles make their crawl from the Gulf of Mexico to nest on our shores. Five species of sea turtles swim and feed around Anna Maria Island, with the most common nester being the loggerhead.

To help protect sea turtle populations, three of our municipalities have laws to protect sea turtles. In addition to leaving trash on the beach and parking motor vehicles on the beach, it’s prohibited to leave artificial lights facing the beach on at night. This helps nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings find the light of the moon, which they follow back to the gulf.

Visitors can sign up for early-morning turtle patrol or take turtle nest tours by contacting Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch.