Sea turtle nesting beaches

6 beaches where sea turtle nesting is documented in Florida, each with the source, the date it was checked, and the season where the source gives one.

  • Documented6 beaches
  • SeasonJune to August
  • Most listedMelbourne (2)

6 beaches with sea turtle nesting. Listed in Beach Score order, updated Sep 10, 2026. The Beach Score rates the beach overall, not its sea turtle nesting.

Nesting season

Documented season: June to August. From the seasons the sources give for 1 of the 6 listed beaches.

  1. Clearwater Beach: beach at dusk with dunes, shallow water, and distant swimmers
    Clearwater, Florida
    Sea turtle nestingLoggerhead and green sea turtles nest on the beach at Caladesi Island State Park.
    Parking · Free parking · Sunset over waterView beach
  2. Eau Gallie Beach: beach with high-rise hotels, sand, ocean, and distant beachgoers
    Melbourne, Florida
    Sea turtle nestingLoggerhead sea turtles nest on Indian Harbour Beach at about one nest per 10 feet of shoreline a year, and green sea turtles nest there too.
    Parking · Free parking · Sunrise over waterView beach
  3. Tidal Cove Beach: sandy beach with gentle waves, blue sky, few distant figures
    Florida
    Sea turtle nestingJune to AugustSea turtles nest in Sebastian Inlet State Park, and summer visitors can reserve a night walk to watch loggerheads nesting.
    Parking · Sunrise over water · Restaurants and barsView beach
  4. Aerial view of Paradise Beach in Melbourne, Florida, shoreline and surroundings, USDA NAIP imagery from May 2023
    Melbourne, Florida
    Sea turtle nestingLoggerhead sea turtles nest on Indian Harbour Beach at about one nest per 10 feet of shoreline a year, and green sea turtles nest there too.
    Parking · Free parking · Sunrise over waterView beach
  5. Aerial view of Rebecca's Cove Landing in Naples, Florida, shoreline and surroundings, USDA NAIP imagery from May 2023
    Naples, Florida
    Sea turtle nestingKeewaydin Island is monitored nightly for loggerhead turtle nesting by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
    Sunrise over waterView beach
  6. Juno Beach: sandy beach with ocean, waves, beachgoers, and coastal high-rise buildings
    Jupiter, Florida
    Sea turtle nestingThe Loggerhead Marinelife Center recorded 25,025 sea turtle nests in 2023 on the 9.5-mile stretch of beach it monitors at Juno Beach.
    Sunrise over water · Hotels nearbyView beach
6 beaches
6

Compare sea turtle nesting beaches

BeachBest seasonWhere you'll see itParkingBeach Score
Clearwater BeachClearwaterDocumentedCaladesi Island State ParkYes7.1
Eau Gallie BeachMelbourneDocumentedIndian Harbour BeachYes5.6
Tidal Cove BeachJun to AugSebastian Inlet State ParkYes5.2
Paradise BeachMelbourneDocumentedIndian Harbour BeachYes4.9
Rebecca's Cove LandingNaplesDocumentedKeewaydin Island3.5
Juno BeachJupiterDocumented2.3

How sea turtle nesting works

Sea turtles come ashore at night to lay eggs in the dry sand above the tide line, and the hatchlings emerge about 60 days later and crawl to the sea. Nests are marked and off limits, lights facing the beach are dimmed or shielded in season, and guided night walks run where a permit holder offers them. Seeing a turtle is never guaranteed; the season is when the chance exists.

How we verify sea turtle nesting

A beach is marked when a wildlife agency list or a cited page documents that sea turtles nest there. The months shown are the nesting season that source gives. This list is about nesting: it says nothing about seeing turtles from the sand or swimming with them, which would need sources of their own. Sources and methodology

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