Palm Beach County

SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON BEGINS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY

Each year from March 1 through October 31, Palm Beach County’s film-friendly beaches welcome loggerhead, green, and leatherback sea turtles as they come ashore to nest. This extraordinary season often overlaps with coastal filming, making awareness and protection essential. During nesting season, the State of Florida enforces guidelines for both film crews and the public.

These include no lights on the beach before sunrise or after sunset, no heavy equipment on the sand, and no sand disturbance deeper than six inches. These measures help protect nesting mothers and hatchlings as they journey to and from the ocean. The Film and Television Commission partners with Palm Beach County’s Environmental Resource Management team to balance production with conservation. By following established protocols and supporting monitoring efforts, we help safeguard this natural tradition for generations to come.

“Likely due to rising ocean temperatures, we recorded the earliest sea turtle nest on record in the history of LMC’s monitoring efforts today,” Justin Perrault, Vice President of Research at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, said in early March. “This nesting season, we’re leading several research projects involving satellite tagging, nest temperatures, foraging and fasting behavior, toxicology, and dive information in relation to the STPZ.”

Learn more on our website.