A Nesting Florida Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
Photo credit: NOAA – Public Domain
For those fortunate ones of us who live here in the tropical paradise known as Florida, the news this morning brought a rare and treasured site and story, it was of a Leatherback Sea Turtle who had recently been seen on the beach at Canaveral National Sea Shore, laying her eggs.
According to reporter Dan Billow, who has covered the Florida Space Coast for over 25 years for WESH TV, this was a once in a lifetime occurrence.
What made it so, was the fact that the lovely Leatherback weighing in at over 800 pounds, was doing her nesting and egg laying in broad daylight, something that rarely ever happens.
The Leatherback is the largest of our Florida Sea Turtles and this was a blessing for those of us here, who love them and do everything possible to ensure their safety during nesting season, which hopefully will also guarantee their future.
The Leatherback is one of three Florida Sea Turtles who are listed as Endangered, the List also includes the Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles.
The story today about this Sea Turtle mother makes what we saw happen in our own front yard yesterday even sweeter.
Harriet our resident Gopher Tortoise, was next to her primary hole/tunnel, at about noon, quite busy sending sand flying, it appeared that she then made a small mound or nest and looked to be laying her own eggs.
We both found this news interesting, as we did not know that Sea Turtles and Gopher Tortoises did their nesting at the same time.
We may be grandparents again soon and we are, as to be expected, both thrilled.
The representative from the Park Service and the TV News reporter both agree that things may finally be looking up for this gentle giant.
Congratulations and Happy Mother’s Day to a Lovely Leatherback~
Places to learn more:
Rare 800-pound sea turtle nests on Brevard County beach
800 Pound Leatherback Sea Turtle Lays Eggs
Endangered or Threatened Species
Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) – NOAA
Walking with the Alligators 
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Wonderful post. I consider the sea turtle my spirit animal. I so admire their long dark journeys, their unfathomable knowing.
Yes, they are a Global Treasure.
We must always protect them~
What great news. Here we are also watching the north coast of P.R. because turtles are coming back here to nest again; which means this North Atlantic shore around where I live has been a nesting site for years. All the nesting sites have been labeled and fenced in.
“Female sea turtles, known to swim thousands of miles before returning to their birthplace to lay eggs, find their way home by relying on unique magnetic signatures along the coast, a new study finds. “We reasoned that if turtles use the magnetic field to find their natal beaches, then naturally occurring changes in the Earth’s field might influence where turtles nest,” Brothers said.
A look at the data, from 1993 to 2011, confirmed this idea. At certain times in some places, Earth’s magnetic field shifted so that magnetic signals from nearby beaches moved closer together. During these times, turtle nests densely covered these areas, they found.”-
http://www.livescience.com/49468-turtles-migration-magnetic-field.html
Thank you so very much for this!!!!!
You’re welcome!
Great news, Happy Mother’s Day to you and Harriet.
And all of the very same to you~
I’m so excited to be moving to Florida!! I hope to be getting involved somehow with the wildlife….
That is very good news!
This is very good news. A nice Mother’s Day gift.
Yes it was!
Hello Donna. I hope you are well enough today [or some day soon] to view this short video.
https://waltzingaustralia.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/the-kangaroo-mob-recovers/
Thank you, it was very sweet!
Good luck with Harriet. The recovery of turtles (be it ever so slow) is good news. –Curt
We are very excited right now, as she is on her little side mound each morning, we believe laying her eggs.
We will know soon…
I am sure you will blog about it. 🙂 –Curt
Absolutely!!!!
What good news! A lovely story, so nice to hear something positive.I hope all goes well for Harriet!
It is great to hear from you.
Please do stay in touch~
Any news of little ones will be posted ASAP!!!!!
So special ❤
Thank you dear one!