Jupiter FL Sea Turtle Experience

They only come out at night, with requests of no light -- nothing to do with tide, moonlight or weather.

Sea turtles that weigh anywhere from 200 to 1,500 pounds have taken over sections of beach in Jupiter for their annual nesting process, and guests of the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa have “front-row seats” to observe the endangered loggerheads, leatherbacks and greens laying their eggs.

Visitors to the South Florida resort are asked to draw their room curtains at around 8 p.m. to prevent too much light from shining on the pristine beach just steps from the hotel. The female sea turtles take the darkness as their cue to slowly meander ashore to dig holes and lay their eggs. The darkness also helps emerging hatchlings, which may become disoriented by beachfront lighting as they try to reach the ocean.

Guests can be a part of the natural phenomenon without disturbing the turtles by signing up for Escorted Turtle Walks that are offered by the Loggerhead Marine Life Center just minutes from the South Florida beach resort. Professionals teach visitors about the nesting process while scouts comb the beaches in the area and try to find a turtle that is laying its eggs. Guests also have the opportunity to see sea turtles that are being rehabbed at the nonprofit education and ocean conservation facility. Should there be nesting activity that night, tour attendees will be invited to join a scout on up to a mile and a half walk to experience the process up close. Visitors are encouraged to wear dark clothing and comfortable walking shoes and cannot use flashlights or cell phones for the adventure.

Palm Beach County’s beaches, including the one around Jupiter Beach Resort, provide critical nesting, foraging and developmental habitat for threatened and endangered sea turtles. Although beachgoers usually don’t harm sea turtle nests because they are buried so deep in the sand, we ask that all of our guests respect the areas that are marked in any fashion.     

Check out the action with this Flordia Beach Sea Turtle video.