I have such great news to share with all of you today! The first sea turtle nest of the 2024-2025 season hatched over the weekend, and several baby Hawksbill turtles successfully made it into the ocean!
Fifty-five nesting activities were documented during the 2023-2024 nesting season, which resulted in 29 confirmed nests. We had 2,491 hatchlings successfully make it out to sea during that time. How amazing is that! Let’s hope those numbers are even larger this season!
So what should you do if you come across nesting activity? Please report it. You can either email vinpturtles@friendsvinp.org or call/text 760-470-8995. Please do not disturb the area, but send photos, if possible.
If you see someone touching or mistreating a turtle, please contact the National Park Service at 866-995-8467.
If you see a turtle in distressed, please contact the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rescue (STAR) hotline at 340-690-0474.
If you would like to learn more about St. John’s sea turtles, you can attend a virtual seminar tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. EST. Join Friends of the VI Park Education Specialist, Kaitlyn Cummings, and learn about the Virgin Islands National Park Sea Turtle Program, the general life cycle of a sea turtle, the three species of turtles found in the US Virgin Islands, and the things you can do to protect our turtles. Click here to register for this free program.
Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!
Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.