This is such great news to share! St. John had a record-breaking sea turtle nesting season! We had 3,221 hatchlings successfully make their way into the sea, the largest number to date!
Friends of Virgin Islands National Park just released their 2024 Sea Turtle Program Nesting Report. Here are some of the highlights:
- 3,221 hatchlings made it out to sea
- 37 nests were found, which is the highest number recorded to date
- 11 estimated nesting females were identified
- 1 new nesting beach was documented
- The first nest was identified in March.
- The largest number of nests were identified during the month of September.
- All documented nests were laid by Hawksbill turtles.
Maho Bay
The report includes interesting information regarding our beloved turtles located over in Maho Bay. Researchers have been identified and photographing turtles at Maho Bay since 2012. They identified 101 turtles since 2012. Six of those turtles have lived in Maho Bay for over seven years. Amazing.
This year’s report includes information on monitoring, protection, education and more. Click here to read it in its entirety.
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.