Georgia Sea Turtle Center – Jekyll Island

From May through August, under cover of darkness, a silent drama is played out on Jekyll Island's Drifwood Beach. Female loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta-caretta) swim ashore, make their way across the sand, dig their nests and lay their eggs. Designated a threatened species by state and federal law, loggerhead sea turtles have found safe haven on Jekyll Island. Their nests, tucked among the dunes of Jekyll Island's clean, white beach, have made the island a major site for conservation and education.

Nightly turtles walks, offered from June 1 through August 1 by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, introduce visitors to to these majestic animals. Explore the beach at night and learn about the amazing journey of the loggerhead sea turtles nesting along the Georgia Coast. After a brief introduction to the natural history of sea turtles, visitors are led on a guided beach tour of Jekyll Island's starlit sands, where they might encounter a nesting loggerhead. The Center offers two nightly programs Monday through Saturday at 8:30 and 9:30 P.M. Reservations are required, as size is limited.

Sea turtle nests are marked and monitored by the Jekyll Island Sea Turtle Project. Please help us protect the sea turtles. Do not disturb the nests. If you see a nest being disturbed or find a nest that has not been marked, please note its location and call the Turtle Project at 635-2284.

Information obtained from www.jekyllisland.com