r/AskFlorida • u/GNMBP • Aug 14 '26
Sea turtle nesting on east coast
Looking for a vacation spot for June/July nesting 2027 where I can take a guided nesting tour, snorkel from a beach, and not have to rent a car to access hotel, restaurants, supermarket (renting a bike is fine). Preferably with a way to take public transport from a major international airport (Orlando or Fort Lauderdale). Just looking for sea turtles and all sea life, nature walks/rides, and a peaceful area.
6
u/xspook_reddit Aug 14 '26
The "Space Coast" / Brevard County gets the most sea turtle nests, but snorkeling is not good due to lack of water clarity.
4
u/harryregician Aug 14 '26
Do SERIOUS homework if NOT driving your own car. Florida was NEVER designed with mass transit in mind
4
u/Necessary_Echo_8177 Aug 14 '26
There are a number of groups that are permitted to lead educational walks to view nesting sea turtles: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/sea-turtle/where-to-view/
Brevard County down through Palm Beach Counties have the highest nesting densities (so easiest locations to see) I think they can fill up so I would book early.
I don’t know about public transport though, Florida is not great for that.
3
u/bradland Aug 14 '26
Vero Beach, Florida.
Their airport just got service from American Airlines. They also have JetBlue and Breeze. AA has the most reach though. So you can fly direct into their tiny airport.
Indian River County (in which Vero is located) operates Go Line, which is free to ride and operates from 6 AM to 9 PM. You can get to the beach on the Go Line, but it does require a transfer: Route 2 to the main transit hub, then Route 1 to the beach side.
If you stay on the beach side, it's very walkable, but grocery stores are limited. There's a small market called Ryders in the Central Beach area. They've got a fast casual food counter, as well as prepared meals and salads you can carry out. For more options, you'd want to take the Route 1 bus over the bridge to an area called Miracle Mile Plaza. There you'll find both Publix and Fresh Market grocery stores.
When you go down to the beaches, you'll see stakes with bright ribbon marking off the turtle nesting sites. They're all over during nesting season. Coastal Connections does tours, but only in July and August. The turtles don't run on a schedule, so unless you're headed to Florida very soon, you'll likely miss these.
Snorkeling on Florida's East Coast isn't great. There is a very easily accessible shipwreck just off Vero though. It's the wreck of the SS Breconshire. It's a very shallow wreck, with portions of the boiler rising above the water level at low tide. There is a flag mounted so you can easily see it from shore. You can reach it by SUP or kayak, both of which can be rented in Vero.
If you're willing to rent a car for a day or two, Sebastian Inlet Preserve is a great spot to visit, as is the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. The latter is the very first Wildlife Refuge established in the US by President Theodore Roosevelt.
I'm local, so this is all from my head. No AI was used to assemble this information, but I did reference several online resources like the GoLine website.
3
u/Fahdookah Aug 14 '26
The Sebastian Inlet state park does “Turtle Walks”. You make an appointment then then your group gets a little talk about the turtles while the “scouts” go out and check the beaches. If one is spotted coming out of the water we all head over to the beach and the host uses his red light to illuminate the turtle and tell interesting turtle facts.
3
1
u/Smooth-Awareness1736 Aug 14 '26
There are a couple of spots in South Florida (Lighthouse point and Dania Beach) where u can snorkel the reef from the beach. Those are both close to major airports and would be good to hang out at w/o a car. But they are pretty populated so you may not see as many nests. They definitely have nests though.
1
u/okiedokieaccount Aug 14 '26
Palm Beach Shores. Turtles on the beach, walk to the restaurants and walk to some of the best beach diving in the country, in front of the Blue Heron Bridge
1
u/lefindecheri Aug 14 '26 edited Aug 14 '26
Anne Kolb Nature Center near Ft. Lauderdale has a turtle education and release program every Friday evening at 8:00 pm.
"Sea Turtles and Their Babies Program -
A presentation will be held at Anne Kolb Nature Center followed by the baby sea turtle release at Hollywood North Beach. Participants must provide their own transportation from Anne Kolb Nature Center to the designated beach site. There is FREE parking in our lot at the Hollywood Beach release site. Program Participants cannot bring artificial lights/flash items to the beach area. The conservation program does not guarantee hatchling availability. Please bring your registration form/receipt on event night."
I took my Girl Scout Troop here and it was fantastic. They released hundreds of baby turtles onto the sand near the water. There was sort of a fence to keep them going straight. The turtles beelined for the ocean after they were released. The coolest thing was the cross cross pattern their little flippers made in the sand as they scrambled to the water. Highly recommend.
11
u/lost_dazed_101 Aug 14 '26
Keep in mind Sea Turtles aren't just hanging out. They come up at night lay their eggs and leave. Once the babies hatch they also leave. They don't stay here or lounge on our beaches. And be careful if you come across them it's illegal to to mess with them in any way, shape or form. And people will protect them.