Look for sea turtles on the Brevard Coast

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Officials are asking beachgoers to use caution on Brevard County beaches as sea turtle nesting season comes to an end.

Strong winds called “washbacks” blow baby sea turtles dozens of miles offshore on their way to the line of sargassum algae.

Officials say there are important steps to take if one is discovered.

“Don’t put them in the water, they’re reptiles, they breathe air and so they’re usually not strong enough to swim,” said Merope Moonstone, a master’s student in the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group. “They’ve been offshore for weeks and months, and they’re really weak and exhausted.”

Moonstone is part of a team that monitors sea turtle nesting during the season, March 1 through October 31.

“We’re out here documenting every single crawler from the night before, tagging nests and collecting data from those nests,” Moonstone said.

She says anyone who finds a “washback” should call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC.

The turtles that have been rescued so far are being rehabilitated at the Brevard Zoo Sea Turtle Healing Center.